Of The Sea
by 184
Summary: Bella’s hurt and just her luck, it’s a coven of vampires who try to come to her aide. Unconvinced of their intentions, Bella fights with all she has to protect her own secret- she’s not quite human herself.
1. Heels

**AN: Hello! This is my first fanfiction so please review and I'll update! **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Twilight, I would not have a computer that can only run one internet explorer window at a time. Thanks Stephenie for the great characters!**

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Heels

In retrospect, perhaps the heels were not such a bright idea.

But I'd had it! I'd already put on my jeans and my cute forest green button down top. It was the old brown tennies or the cute, new, brown three inch virgin heels that were practically begging to come along with me today.

I knew it would rain in downtown Port Angeles, it was always raining. But I wasn't going to let that stop me, I wasn't going to let anything stop me, life was too short. It had been a bad year; my tribe had already lost ten people, all of which were teens like me. Most of them were older than me by a few years, but one was younger. It was only October, chances were pretty good we'd loose one or two more before the year was over. I knew I could very well be number eleven.

So I was wearing the heels in spite of the weather, in spite of the bad year and in spite of my better judgment. Like I said before, life was short. And it was about to get allot shorter.

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I'd dropped my parents off at the ferry; they were spending the weekend in Victoria. I had planned to do some shopping and then make my way to La Push to meet up with my old friend Jacob. I hadn't seen him in years; we used to hang out as kids a couple times a month, our fathers being chiefs of our tribes. Though his tribe had shifters as well, Jacob included, they had not suffered the disease and death that had plagued mine in recent years.

I was trying not to think of all that now though. I was strutting past Bella Italia making my way towards a bookstore at the end of the street. The rain was only a light mist now, so I folded my umbrella down and really started to enjoy myself. It wasn't often that I got to wear heels. The rain, first of all, but at 5'9", I never got to wear heels on dates either. I was enjoying the view from up here and the confidence that came with it.

The bookstore was just across the street, I glanced up at the signal waiting for it to change. That was when the scent hit me. I only knew it by instinct; I'd never smelled one before. It was a sickly sweet smell- too sweet. Vampire. I quickly scanned the streets, because if I could smell it, there was no doubt it could smell me. It would know I was different.

There he was, standing directly across the street from me. Our eyes met for only an instant and I turned around and walked in the opposite direction. If he decided to chase I was screwed. I could feel his eyes boring into the back of my head watching. In that moment all I wanted was to be out of his sight so I turned right and started up a long stair case.

I heard him behind me. I was screwed. It was a strange sensation, I should have been horrified, life flashing before my eyes and such. All I felt was disappointment; like I suddenly realized no mater what my move- check mate. I had got about ten steps up the stairs when I turned around and saw him at the base. He was beautiful, of course, tousled amber brown hair and strange golden eyes. I shook my head back to reality, trying to strategize some sort of plan. He couldn't kill me here in public, but he'd follow me wherever I went and I couldn't bring a vampire down on any friends or family- my life was forfeit at this point. I noticed the street was strangely quiet, then I heard a sudden _woosh_ and now he stood in front of me about seven steps up.

He put his arms in the air, palms up, "Hold on a sec, I just want to talk," his sweet voice rang to me. I knew I couldn't out run him, though I was certain if I could get to the water I could out swim him. He raised his eyebrow curiously at me. I started to back down the steps, he did not follow.

"Careful…" he warned me just my heel missed the edge of the step and I tumbled down the remaining eight stairs. My right leg twisted and snapped beneath me as my head finally _thunked_ against the cold wet pavement. He was beside me on the ground in an instant pulling the scarf from my neck and holding it to the base of my skull behind my head. I watched him as he quickly gave me one good look up and down and then paused when he saw the unnatural way my leg sprawled out beside me.

Then the pain hit. My eyes pooled over with tears streaking down my face as my headed pounded with each frantic beat of my heart. My leg was a whole nother degree of pain, it was bent in the shape of an "L" just below the knee. I jerked it trying to find relief from the pain but it only made it worse. I focused myself and tried to stay quiet, I didn't want spectators any more than the vampire did. Unfortunately it was futile, we had already accumulated a small audience.

I heard one spectator say something about an ambulance, the vampire quickly responded, "Already called."

No! I couldn't go to the hospital, they would find out that I was different, send me off to some government facility to be experimented on. It could compromise the entire tribe.

"No hospital, please" I managed to wheese out. Never thought I would be begging for death from a vampire, but here I was.

"Try to stay still, help is coming" he held the now soaked scarf to my head as his other hand reached for mine and squeezed gently. At that moment a black Mercedes pulled up on the pavement beside me and stopped. The driver side door opened and the scent hit me again- even in this state of extreme pain. Another Vampire.

Relief washed through me, this was his "help." The new vampire talked quickly to the other, I couldn't make out what they were saying. Then the first vampire made comment as to how long the ambulance was taking.

"Just put her in the car" the new vampire declared, "we'll take her ourselves."

The new vampire knelt down beside me, pretending to see if I was stable enough to move I suppose. The pain was still overwhelming and I found it hard to focus.

He caught my eye a few moments later and put his cool hand on my cheek. "My name is Carlisle and this is my son Edward," he motioned to the first vampire, "can you tell me your name, sweetheart?"

I had to think about it for a moment, "Isabella" I mumbled. Only my friends called me Bella.

"Okay Isabella," he replied with a dazzling smile, "we're going to get you out of here and to some help." He winked at me, I heard the words but I still wasn't grasping much besides the pain- it all blurred together. It took me a few more moments to realize this all must be an act for the bystanders. I decided to play along, opting for the vampires over the hospital.

The vampire named Edward lifted me slowly as Carlisle opened the door to the back seat of the car. He moved very slowly and steadily but my body still uncontrollably winced and shuttered in pain.

"I know it hurts, I'm sorry" he was keeping up the act quite well. He laid me across the back seat; Carlisle was already seated on the far side helping guide me in with as little movement as possible. My head ended up resting on Carlisle's lap as Edward got into the drivers seat. Carlisle now held another clean cloth to the back of my skull that must have still been bleeding. With his other hand he pulled a black bag up off the floor and placed it on the seat beside me as he commanded, "Drive."

The car roared to life but I had no since of direction. I was starting to feel light headed, but the overwhelming pain kept reality close.

"The bleeding has slowed down a little," Carlisle said to me, "that's good, how are you doing Isabella, you still with me?"

I must have hit my head pretty hard; why was he acting this way still? I looked at him confused. The car shifted as we took a fast turn, probably onto the highway, my leg was jarred again. There was no escape this time, my threshold for pain tolerance was broken and I let out a wrasping scream of pain.

"Edward take it easy," said Carlisle then he looked back at my face, "It's ok, let me see what I have." He used both of his blood stained hands to rummage through his mysterious black bag coming up with a little syringe and a vial.

My heart faltered and it took a moment for the panic to set back in. There was only one thing worse than going to a hospital: that was if the vampires planned to do their own disecting. By the time I had processed this new scenario, the syringe was full of a clear liquid and Carlisle was putting the vial back in the bag. He held the syringe as a doctor would; he knew exactly what he was doing. Shit.

I struggled violently now against him but his hold was far too strong. The pain of struggle was literally making me nauseous as my body dry heaved. I was suddenly glad my stomach was empty and that I had skipped breakfast. He couldn't hold me still enough with one hand to give me whatever poison was in the other.

He quietly put the cap back on the syringe and dropped it back in the bag. I stopped thrashing and swallowed back the pain again. I didn't know how much of this I could keep up especially since I knew it was going to be losing battle in the end anyways. It just wasn't in my nature to surrender to them, but I also knew my options were few and as I had realized before: my life was forfeit. My death would protect the ones I loved so the best I could hope for at this point was a quick end- which seemed unlikely at this point.

"Shhhh, shhh," the strange vampire lulled to me. I just continued to look at him dumfounded, the pain still gnawing away at me.

"Carlisle?" Edward asked from the front seat.

"It seems I'm doing more damage than good, maybe if I just give her a few moments to calm down."

"She's in allot of pain. I'm only getting random flashes. She's utterly horrified and pain, lots of pain."

"Once we get her home, we'll have help. It will be easier."

I could see Edward nod as he continued to drive. What did he know about my pain? Carlisle's hand came back to my face and I winced away from him, jarring my head. My eyes fluttered, the light headedness was returning.

I could feel my heart slowing, my eyes becoming heavy despite the agony. Hope entered my soul, I let the tiredness come, maybe I had lost enough blood or hit my head hard enough, maybe all I had to do was let go and fade…

"Isabella? Isabella?" I ignored him.

"Isabella" he called louder, squeezing my hand hard. I still refused to respond, he wasn't taking this from me.

"Isabella!" he called louder and pulled my right leg up an half an inch.

"Agggugh!" my body dry heaved again as I was forcefully pulled back to reality.

"I'm sorry sweetie," he was crooning to me again, "you can't sleep just yet, not until I get a better look at that head." He started to wipe the tears from my face with the back of his hand. I looked at him with new eyes now mixing the agony with anger. Why? I couldn't comprehend why they were doing this to me? If looks could kill, the one I was giving Carlisle could have stopped a beating heart- not that he ever had one.

Edward laughed from the front seat, "Ohhh, now she's pissed and in pain."

"Hmph, you can be pissed at me all you want, but you're not going anywhere."

In that long ride in the car, I tried to close my eyes a few more times. But each time Carlisle would squeeze my hand in warning again. I opened my eyes quickly each time, giving him the same agonized look of hatred.


	2. House of Horrors

House of Horrors

The car eventually came to a stop. Edward got out immediately and opened the door by Carlisle. He reached over the evil one, and lifted me out of his lap and slowly walked towards the door at the far end of this gigantic garage.

The scent was overwhelming here. I saw two more as we entered the house following behind the evil one now. One was huge and the other a delicate little female with brown, wavy hair.

"Esme, can we get your help here?" the evil one called, "Emmet, could you go find Jasper?" I watched as the big one ran out the front door and Esme came over beside the evil one and grasped his hand.

Edward walked gently up the stairs with me following Esme and the evil one. They stopped in front of us, opened a door and switched on some bright lights. I was laid out on a small bed, with this new Esme vampire fussing over pillows.

"Esme, hold her up for me, I need to get a good look at that gash on the back of her head."

Edward chuckled again, "She really doesn't like you Carlisle, something about you being _evil_."

"Edward you're not helping" said Carlisle. Edward then made his way around to the opposite side of Carlisle, seemingly resigned. He lifted my hand and held it lightly in his.

Esme held me up, I let my full weight rest against her arms afraid of the pain that would sear down my leg if I tried to sit up on my own. I didn't want to lie down anyways. It made me feel uncomfortable, venerable and exposed. The evil one pulled my long, blood stained brunette hair up on top of my head and Edward held it there with his free hand. Carlisle started probing at the wound on the base of my skull with his finger tips. If I could have possibly stayed still I would have. By now I had learned that the less I moved the less it hurt, but I couldn't help it. I tensed and now shivered in pain.

"The wound is not too deep, injuries to the head just tend to bleed more." The evil one analyzed out loud, "I don't feel any cracks or other bumps." His fingers were massaging their way up my scalp. That actually didn't hurt, which was a nice change.

"Isabella," Carlisle looked in my eyes still holding my head in his palms, "can you tell me what day it is?"

What- vampires too good for calendars? Edward chuckled again- that was annoying. "It's Saturday, October 24th, 2009, apparently 11:34am pacific time" I replied squinting at the clock on the far wall.

"Good. Do you remember what you had for breakfast this morning?"

What the hell was this? Is he really trying to figure out if I'm crazy? "I didn't have breakfast; unfortunately it seems I missed that perfectly good opportunity to puke all over the back seat of your flashy car."

I didn't think it was funny, I was entirely serious, but apparently Carlisle, Esme and Edward all thought I was hilarious. Carlisle flashed a bright light in both my eyes and then seemed satisfied.

"Ok, how about some morphine then, and I'll let you rest," Carlisle made his way back to his bag now in the corner of the room. I knew what was coming; I started to struggle again with all that I had left. It wasn't much, but I was determined to go down fighting. Edward and Esme pushed my shoulders firmly against the bed as Esme drew out one of my arms. My eyes frantically found the evil one slowly pacing back over to me with that syringe again. "Shhhh, shhh," she was lulling to me now to, but it was Edward that caught my eye. He still held my hand in one of his as his other was firmly placed against my shoulder now. They knew I wouldn't dare move my legs.

"Isabella," he said my name for the first time, "look at me." I did, I searched his eyes and couldn't find the evil I was so sure was there. "We're just trying to help you, just relax, you have nothing to fear." I turned the other way to see the needle, full of poison just inches from the skin of my arm on the inside of my elbow- clearly the target. I shuttered again pulling, but unable to move. I felt a soft squeeze on my left hand, "Isabella, look at me." He ordered this time and I did. "You know you probably shouldn't have been wearing heels like that on a rainy day, I mean granted they are nice looking shoes, but not very smart." He was talking to me about my shoes?

"I never get to wear them though," I replied softly, "if I had known I'd be chased and eaten by vampires today, I may not have bothered."

"I didn't mean to scare you, I was only curious. No one here will hurt you." I eyed the evil one walking away with the empty syringe.

"He's not evil, he's a doctor, he's trying to help as you're about to figure out." Strange talking to this Edward, it was like he was in my head.

I saw the, _doctor (I thought loudly)_ walking back over to the bed with a metal tray in hand. I glimpsed something like thread and a wicked curved needle on the tray as he came closer, but my vision was quickly fading. Esme and Edward sat me back up again but I was completely limp now and the best part was the pain was fading. Maybe it was really morphine, because it was good. Really, really, really, gooo…


	3. Any Pain?

**AN: So here's another chapter, I hope you're having as much fun as I am! Still looking for reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I rented the Twilight characters from Stephenie, I don't own them and I have to return them one day, eventually...**

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Any Pain?

I don't know how much time had passed since I blacked out. I stayed perfectly still, trying to analyze as much about my surroundings before revealing that I was awake. The first thing I noticed was the horrible stench of vampire, there must be one in the room with me. I was lying down on a fairly soft bed, my jeans were definitely gone but there were several layers of blankets tucked up to my neck. My right leg was elevated under some pillows and had some large brace on it. I was also wearing some sort of night gown that was loose and felt almost like silk. My bare arms were over the covers. All together I was pretty comfortable.

Well, that was it for all my other senses, time to open my eyes.

I did so slowly, knowing there would be bright light. The vampire Edward was immediately in my line of sight, but he wasn't close enough to startle me at this point. I moved my right hand up to my face to wipe my eyes as Edward slowly walked closer to my side. But there was a slight pulling sensation on my arm and I looked closer to see a large tube plugged into the inside crevice of my elbow. I instinctively reached my other hand over to try and pull it out but my fingers were met with his before I could.

"Just leave it there for now, we'll take it out once you're doing better- promise." He was a damn good liar, I believed him for a split second. My options were still seriously limited, I needed to save my energy and choose my battles wisely. The tube in my arm was among the least of my worries at this point, so I decided to let it be.

"Any pain? We can adjust the morphine drip" Edward asked me.

I cleared my throat, felt like I hadn't spoken in days. "No, I'm ok. How long have I been out?"

"Not too long, you're probably hungry. Why don't I get you some breakfast." It wasn't a question. He walked out of the room just as Carlisle walked back in.

"Sounded like you were awake" Carlisle started.

I just looked at him as he made his way over to me. I hadn't really been able to take in how attractive the vampires were before. Now that my head was clear of pain, I noticed how stunning this one was. His light blonde hair and perfect alabaster skin. And then there was Edward, my heart skipped a beat just thinking about him.

"How is the pain?" Carlisle asked me.

Attractive or not, I was still entirely convinced this doctor had something evil in store for me. I decided not to answer him.

"Isabella?" There was a long silence before Carlisle realized this would be a one way conversation.

"Alright then, you're healing quickly. I was able to stitch up the cut on the back of your head, the scar should be fairly minimal" Carlisle was explaining to me, holding a clip board in his hand. I noticed there was a table pulled up to the other side of the bed littered with medical paraphernalia. "Your leg was a little worse, but has mended quite a bit. I was able to reset the bone with out surgery, at your current rate of recovery, I would estimate you'll be up and walking tomorrow and back to full use in a few days."

He paused again as I took in the information but still made no response.

"Can you sit up for me and I'll take out those stitches?"

Here I was at a crossroads. In his hand he now held scissors and a tweezers, looked like he planed on taking out the stitches. _Chose your battles_, I reminded myself and sat up slowly. My hair was already tied back out of the way and I felt him remove some sort of gauze that was taped to my head.

"It's amazing how quickly you have healed thus far. I am concerned that the rate of progress has slowed down these past six hours."

_Six hours?_ I'd been out more than six hours. I knew my people healed quickly, but I couldn't tell how I was really doing with all the drugs in my system; that and I really had no frame of reference as I'd never been hurt like this before. I wondered if this vampire would tell me how long I'd been out.

While the doctor worked on my head I started to really think, to plan. The mind reader was down stairs and hopefully out of range. Escape in any form alive was impossible. I was pretty sure I could endure a fair amount of torture, I wouldn't give them whatever they were seeking- I'd have to be very careful around Edward though. It seemed his ability was spotty at best anyways. I had already resolved myself to death, but if the vampires wanted me alive, how could I?

I hadn't been listening to whatever Carlisle was saying until he spoke up, I only caught the trail end of whatever he was talking about. I could immediately tell the difference in his tone- he was agitated, "not that we could take you home if we wanted to."

I was suddenly certain that I did not want the evil vampire doctor even the slightest bit agitated with me, so with that I answered, "I'm sorry, my mind was somewhere else, it's a little hard to concentrate still. Could you repeat that?"

He bought it and instantly looked at me concerned. "No, no," I assured him, "I feel fine, just a bit overwhelmed."

"That's perfectly understandable" Carlisle spoke, "I was just saying that you would probably be okay to go home as early as tomorrow morning if we can get you back on track and mending at the rate you were. If only we knew where to take you and if someone could take care of you there. Is there anyone we can call for you?"

When heel freezes over, "no, uhh my folks are out of the country," I exaggerated putting them far from the vampires reach without even lying.

"Anybody else?" he asked me.

"How long have I been out?" I differed.

Carlisle took a deep breath, "I wonder if it will upset you."

"I'm the kind of person who is generally more concerned about things I don't know."

"The morphine I gave you was enough sedate you and I kept you unconscious for about six hours. That was intentional, I needed to stitch up your scalp and reset your leg. I didn't know how bad your leg would be, but it turned out to be a clean break. I kept you on a steady morphine drip afterwards, but it shouldn't have been enough to keep you sedated, just enough to make you more comfortable. You didn't regain consciousness; instead your body went into a recovery mode of some sort. It was like every system focused it's self on your injuries and you healed quickly. For about thirty hours." He paused as I took that in and then continued, "then it just stopped, like you ran out of fuel and you have stayed the same for the past six hours. So to answer your question: two days."

I mulled over his words and how he had nailed it on the head: _ran out of fuel_. He gave me the answer I was looking for, a way out. If he was telling me the truth, I hadn't eaten anything in almost sixty hours, almost three days. It would only take six if I was entirely healthy, but I had been badly injured, it would be significantly less now. My metabolism was so much different than a human's. Shifters in my tribe ate on average three to four times as much as a teenage boy would, we required allot of fuel to function. The doctor had his suspicions, but he hadn't quite figured it out yet. I decided to bank on him not putting the puzzle together, by the time he figured out I was quickly starving to death, it would be too late.


	4. Of French Toast, Dasies & Plastic Bowls

**AN: A short but fun chapter, hope you enjoy. Reviews are my brand of Heroin, glad to hear you're enjoying!**

**Disclaimer: I asked Santa for Edward, we'll see what happens, I've been a very, very, very good girl this year!**

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Of French Toast, Daisies and Plastic Bowls

There was a soft knock on the door as Edward came back in holding a large plate with metal cover, the like of which I had seen in fancy restaurants and a bed tray in the other. This vampire coven had some pretty good props! He made his way over to me and Carlisle tilted up the bed, it was now that I actually realized it was a hospital bed of some sort. I wondered why they would keep a hospital bed in their house.

"We had a guest a few weeks ago, he's better now of course, we just hadn't bothered clearing the room yet" Edward answered my thoughts. I wondered if there was a way I could block him out somehow, and even if I succeeded how would I know it was working? Edward placed the tray over my lap and put the plate on top pulling back the lid.

It was a cruel, cruel world indeed. French toast, no, it was cinnamon French toast, maple syrup, whipped butter, two perfect little over easy eggs and was that? Bacon? Cruel. To the side of the plate was a tall glass of orange juice and a pretty pink Gerber Daisy in a vase. Gerber Daisies were my favorite.

Edward smiled at me and said, "dig in!"

I looked at the food with resolve and imagined a strong shield around my brain. "It looks wonderful, but you really shouldn't have gone to the trouble, I'm not really hungry. In fact if you don't mind, I'm just tired and would love to rest" I replied trying to sound as gracious and honest as possible. If he got into my head he would see my lie, heck he might see my lie anyways.

Edward looked at me puzzled and it was Carlisle who responded, "You are welcome to rest of course, but would you eat just a little? I think it would help you recover faster."

Okay, I was going to have to do better. I acknowledged his concern with a nod and picked up the fork. I cut a large piece of the French toast and smothered it in the syrup. I brought the fork up to my mouth; the stench of vampire was barley noticeable over the smell of the maple. Just as I opened my mouth I made a gagging sound and pretended to be nauseous and put it back on the plate.

"I think I'm going to be sick" I mumbled out trying to free my self from the bed and tray to find a bathroom. But I couldn't go anywhere, not with my leg and the tubes. The tray was out of my lap almost immediately replaced by an odd shaped plastic bowl. I continued with the coughing and gagging sounds before resting back against the pillows, "I don't think there is actually anything in my stomach for it to be upset over, I'm sorry. It looks and smells so good."

Edward was searching my eyes, I was being completely honest- I wanted to eat, but I couldn't. Carlisle removed the plastic bowl from my lap and started to lower the bed back down. I crossed my arms protectively over my mid section, as if I might be in pain. I closed my eyes and focused on slowing my breathing, "I think if I just rest some more my stomach might settle."

The bed stopped moving and I felt a cold hand on top of mine. I opened my eyes and Carlisle asked me, "Will you let me take a quick look?" Did I really have a choice? I moved my hands and clenched my fists at my sides. I watched his every slow movement as if I was waiting for him to strike. He pulled up the silk night gown just a few inches and his fingers lightly touched my abdomen. I gasped at the temperature, but he made no notice- I suppose he was used to that. My heart was pounding; it felt like it might explode through my chest. Edward placed his hand gently on my shoulder and rubbed small circles with his thumb on my clavicle bone.

"Nothing out of the ordinary" Carlisle said as he pulled the blankets back up over me and gave me a kind smile. I breathed a sigh of relief at his withdraw, my pulse slowed and breathing steadied. "Then again," he continued, "I wouldn't necessarily know all the differences between you and a normal human. Have you ever had anything like this happen before?"

I contemplated my answer and imagined that shield again, "Yes, when I was eleven, I broke my arm, just slept allot for three days and then I was fine. I remember being hungry but I wasn't allowed to eat until the third day." I could tell Edward was suspicious of my story but he didn't say anything. That's when I noticed his hand was still on my shoulder, thumb still rubbing small, soothing circles. It was actually comforting, which was strange in itself.

"Alright" said Carlisle, "it's not like you're going to starve to death," my heart skipped a frantic beat, "and I've got plenty of fluids in you now" he continued. "We'll give it a few hours and try again, maybe something lighter, like chicken soup?"

Edward was staring directly into my eyes accusingly. "Let's let her get some rest, Edward?" Carlisle asked as he started to make his way to the door.

"I'll be right behind you, give me a moment." He removed his hand from my shoulder. I wanted him to put it back, as strange as it sounds! He crossed his arms and looked at me as if he was deciding my execution, he was mad at me. I must have slipped and he caught something. What had he heard?


	5. Crying Over Edward's Cooking

**A/N: So here is another fun chapter, I know you are anxious to find out what exactlly Bella is. You'll have to wait one more chapter, I promise Edward will figure it out soon!**

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Crying Over Edward's Cooking

The door closed quietly behind Carlisle. Edward just stood there staring at me. The silence in the room was deafening. It was almost like he was sizing me up and had come to the realization that I was more than I seemed. It was finally more than I could stand, "What?" I simply asked him.

He gathered his thoughts and responded, "Do you have any idea what it is like to starve to death, what happens to the body?"

I wasn't going to answer his question, now I knew what I had slipped.

"You would become weaker and weaker until your body finally starts to cannibalize itself. Bella it is quite possibly one of the worst ways to die: extremely painful and extremely slow. It would take you weeks!"

It would only take me days.

His eyes opened wider in realization, "Carlisle!" he practically shouted in frustration. It only took two seconds for the doctor to renter.

"We have a problem," Edward continued, "she is trying to starve herself, sounds like it should only take a couple days and she hasn't eaten since Friday night." As Edward rattled off this information I couldn't stop my mind from keeping up with it, I tried to distract myself but I was following his every word.

Carlisle seemed to mull this over as Edward continued, "Something about her metabolism," he kept picking words from my brain, "Carlisle, if she doesn't eat by the end of the day, we could lose her."

Edward looked on to Carlisle waiting for an answer, and Carlisle looked at me for one as well. "You're not really going to do this are you?" he asked me as he brought both his hands up to his pale blond hair and fisted his hands around the strands.

"I'm a little out of options here, I don't suppose you'd be willing to give me an easier way out?" I responded.

"I'm trying to get you to the point where you can walk out of here on your own two legs, all you have to do is eat and lie there for one more day and you're out of here, I don't know how to make it easier!"

Edward walked over to the table on the far side of the room and grabbed the plate of French toast. He walked back over and set it beside me cutting off a piece of the still warm toast. He held the fork up to me, "Eat."

"Eat," he commanded, "Eat or I will shove it down your throat, we did not go through the trouble of getting you this far to let you starve yourself!"

"Edward" Carlisle called indifferently.

Edward froze for a moment, seeing if I would give in or if this was going to get ugly. He was bluffing, I was certain.

"Edward, stop,"

Edward took a breath and put the fork back down. "Carlisle, you know," he responded but Carlisle cut him off.

"I know you wouldn't son. I don't have what I need here to set up a feeding tube. I'm going to have to make a run to the hospital. I'll send up Jasper and be back in about twenty minutes."

With that Carlisle was gone. Edward just stared at me frustrated until a soft knock rapped on the door. Another vampire entered, this must be Jasper. He had dirty blond hair and a handsome face. He was slightly smaller than Edward but came off much more intimidating. Some instinct told me this was not a vampire I would want to be left alone with.

Just as I was getting anxious, it was like I hit a wall and whatever fear I held for this Jasper was dissipating.

Edward walked over to a chair on the far side of the room and picked up the clipboard Carlisle had earlier. He fumbled through its pages seemingly unamused.

It was Jasper who stood beside me and spoke to me now, "Why are you giving them such a hard time? Granted this smells awful," he continued as he motioned towards the plate of food, "but many humans love French toast."

I loved French toast, and at this point I was about ready to give in and this vampire probably knew it. Edward put the clipboard down and focused his energy on me. I couldn't tell if he was reading me, it didn't matter anymore. I slowly realized my options had changed again. On one hand I could eat the lovely French toast, eggs and bacon or I could wait for the doctor to come back with some sort of feeding tube. That was when the tears started to well up in my eyes. I tried so hard to blink them back or to hide my face. That was it- that was all I had left. My only hope had been escape by death, now I was doomed to be a prisoner for the rest of my life. The longer I stayed here, the bigger the risk my tribe would be exposed. I didn't know what else to do, so I let the tears stream down my face quietly instead.

"I'm sure Edward's cooking is far from perfect" joked Jasper, "but it's hardly worth crying over." My tear ducts dried up and I was suddenly relieved though it made no sense. "I know you're scared so why don't we take this one step at a time? Carlisle's going to be back in ten minutes with some sort of feeding tube?" he asked as he turned to Edward. Edward nodded in response, still indifferent. "I don't know what that means, but I bet it's not nearly as fun as French toast. So let's not worry about what happens afterwards, let's just worry about what's in front of us now. Feeding tube or French toast?"

My head was clear and I was the most relaxed I had been the entire time I had been in the vampire house- well minus when I was unconscious. "French toast," I resolved almost ashamed of myself. That feeling of shame was quickly replaced by affirmation- it felt like the right choice.

And so I ate the French toast, and the eggs and the bacon and drank all the orange juice. When all of it was gone Edward looked relieved and Jasper almost a little smug. I was definitely still hungry, but I felt better almost instantly. Well, better and tired. There was a soft knock at the door and it struck me odd that the vampires bothered to knock in their own house.

"He's trying not to startle you" Edward answered the question in my head as Carlisle entered the room with another large medical bag. My heart rate picked up again. I had eaten and done what they wanted- he wasn't still going to set up the feeding tube, was he? The empty plate beside me was evidence of my compliance.

I could see only Carlisle's back as he walked over to Edward. They spoke too quickly for me to understand as Carlisle put the medical bag on the table next to Edward. Carlisle turned back around with the same look of relief that Edward had earlier, somewhere in the back of my head I started to wonder if maybe I had it all wrong, what if the vampires really were trying to help me?

Edward smiled at me as if to say: _that's what we've been trying to tell you. _I quickly shook that absurd thought from my head and he rolled his eyes in response. Carlisle approached me with empty hands and a kind looking smile.

"You're looking better already," he said as he brought up his hand to my face and cupped my jaw before dragging the back of his hand across my forehead. "Still a little cool, something I noticed before that must be part of what makes you different. Doesn't seem to affect anything, a normal human would be dead of course. Are you cold dear, is that temperature normal for you?"

"No, I'm not cold at all, I'm fine" I answered quickly.

Edward came back over with the clipboard and asked, "Still 88.3?" Carlisle nodded in confirmation. "It's interesting," Edward continued speaking his mind, "a normal human runs 98.6, she is 10.3 degrees cooler."

There was silence as it seemed both Edward and Carlisle were contemplating something.

"108.9!" Edward burst out, "Carlisle, that's it! That's got to be it! Jacob Black runs 108.9 which is 10.3 degrees hotter than a normal human. What if 88.3 is normal for Isabella- exactly 10.3 degrees cooler!"

Jacob Black! Jacob Black, how did these vampires know Jake!

Then Edward stopped, "Jacob Black?"

"Isabella, do you know Jacob Black?"

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**A/N: So what do you think? Excited to see Jacob? Have a guess of what Bella is? Please share your thoughts by clicking the Green review button below!!!**


	6. My New Distraction

**A/N: So this is my longest chapter yet. I promised to reveal what Bella was, and it took me a bit longer to get there than planned. Hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned Twilight because if I did I would make a Rubik's Cube with all the Cullens pictures on it. I love Rubik's cubes!**

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Before I even had a chance to reply Edward had out his iPhone. He had it to his ear in an instant, "Jake, yeah it's Edward."

I rolled my eyes, there was no way that was Jacob. Since when do vampires keep werewolves on speed dial? Then Edward switched the phone to speaker so I could hear.

"What do you want leach?" I heard Jacob's voice. It took a moment to sink in as I sat there in silence. That was Jake alright, how was he involved with these vampires?

"Jacob do you know an Isabella?"

"Bella?" Jacob responded, "Yeah I know Bella, where the hell is she? She's been missing for days!"

"I think you should get over here Jake, she's here."

"I'm in Sequim, headed back to my car now. I can be there in about an hour and a half, is she ok?"

"Jake no!" I shouted in Edward's direction, "Jake you can't, it's too dangerous!"

"Bella, what have you got yourself into! Just sit tight, I'm on my way."

"She's ok right now. She was badly hurt and she's still convinced we're going to torture and eventually eat her" Edward replied.

"Bella, can you hear me?"

"Yes" I responded timidly.

"Bella, the Cullens are pretty harmless when it comes to vampires. Do me a favor and do what the doctor says. Don't do anything stupid my dear Swan of the Sea."

The line disconnected and Carlisle, Edward and Jasper all looked at me curiously.

"Swan of the Sea?" Edward asked.

"It's a tribal name" I answered. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea. I never meant to trouble anyone. I'm sorry."

"It's alright, understandable, you didn't know" Carlisle responded.

"Well now that everything here is good, I'll be with Alice down stairs if you need me" Jasper said as he exited the room.

Edward came over and grabbed my hand as he had the first day and said, "I am truly sorry, this was my fault I never meant you any harm. Would you be able to forgive me Isabella?"

"It's Bella, and yes of course," I nodded my head in response. "You have nothing to apologize for, you were only trying to help me."

"But if I hadn't startled you in Port Angeles none of this would have happened."

I could tell he was honestly tormented by this, "No Edward, I'm the one who should be sorry. You and Carlisle have taken care of me for days even though I did everything in my power to thwart your every attempt to help me."

"Why don't we just call it even then and start anew" Edward decided and I nodded in agreement.

"So now that we're all on the same side how about taking these tubes out of me?" I asked the doctor.

"I think that would be acceptable now that you are willing to cooperate. You're not going to try to starve or dehydrate yourself again are you?"

In demonstration I reached for a glass of water that was by my bed that Jasper had brought in earlier and downed the entire thing.

"Ok" Carlisle responded and made his way back to his medical bag. He walked over to me with a gauze and tape in hand. He moved some sort of small clamp down on the tube to stop the fluid and then reached for my arm. I flinched in anticipation of him moving that needle. "It won't hurt when I take it out, just relax."

Edward was on my other side in an instant and I had the feeling of de' ja vu. He was holding my other hand, distracting me. I felt the gauze press firmly on the crevice of my arm where the tube was and looked over to see the rather large needle that Carlisle just pulled out.

"See, not so bad" Carlisle responded. I was still fixated on the absurdly large needle he was putting a cap on. Was that really necessary?

Edward laughed and squeezed my hand again, "You're willing to starve yourself to death but afraid of a little needle?"

"I despise sharp objects, we never get along well" I answered him.

Carlisle and Edward both laughed, but as always it was Edward who caught my attention. I couldn't help but just stare at him, he was utterly gorgeous, and like nothing I had ever seen.

"You have the most beautiful eyes," he said staring back at me.

Now that was random. I smiled awkwardly at him, "thanks, I guess."

"So, 'Swan of the Sea', I've never heard a tribal name like that before."

"My tribe is, well, unique I suppose," I replied.

"Hmmm, I wonder," Edward continued. I wished he wouldn't though, I had a feeling I knew where this was going. "I can't quite get a good read on you, as you've noticed. Random glances into your head here and there but I can't figure out what you are. It's very frustrating."

"I'm sorry, I don't know why you can't read me" I felt guilty somehow for not being able to give this vampire what he wanted.

"See, I tell you I can read minds, but have a hard time with yours and you're apologizing to me? Bella don't be absurd!"

I reclined back against the pillows and closed my eyes for a moment. I really was tired. Then my stomach made it's case as well as it rumbled for attention.

Carlisle and Edward both looked at me curious, "Are you still hungry, Bella?" Carlisle asked me.

"Umm, well yeah, I guess so, I"

Edward cut me off, "Why didn't you say anything? What do you want?"

"Something simple, please don't trouble yourself."

Edward just rolled his eyes as he left the room again. I didn't like it when he did that, when he left that is. I still felt quite uncomfortable around the doctor, I needed Edward to distract me from him. I eyed the doctor in the far corner of the room, looked like he was putting away some supplies. He zipped up the bag and put a stethoscope around his neck and walked back over to me.

I squirmed up unconsciously in the bed trying to sit up further. Carlisle saw my struggle and leaned down to adjust the bed up, "Is that more comfortable?" he asked me.

"Yeah, it's a little better, thanks."

He removed the stethoscope from his neck and asked, "May I?"

My first instinct was to say _no, leave me alone, please_, I wanted to be polite after all. Then I remembered Jake telling me to do what the doctor asked, he would be pissed at me if he found out. So instead I just nodded in response.

Carlisle started by leaning me forward and placing the stethoscope on various points on my back. He wasn't hurting me at all but it made me so nervous and what made it worse is he had to know.

"Take a slow, deep breath for me" Carlisle asked me. I did and I was embarrassed by the way my body shuddered when I released the breath.

Carlisle gently pushed my shoulder back against the bed, "Are you alright? You have to tell me if I'm hurting you."

"No, I'm ok. I just, well, it's nothing personal, it's just doctors creep me out and you're a vampire and a doctor so that's doubly creepy" I rattled off then stopped, "I'm sorry I don't mean that, you have been nothing but kind, it's not you it's me, I'm sorry."

"I wish you would stop apologizing. Most people are afraid of doctors, but I promise you have nothing to fear from me. Just talk to me: tell me if I cause you any discomfort or if you are afraid so I can help, alright?"

I nodded in response. Edward walked back in, not bothering to knock, I noticed. He set another tray of food on the table beside me and cleared the empty plates. He left the cover on the plate, noticing Carlisle was still working. Edward made his way over to the opposite side of the bed, his usual post. It occurred to me what an amazing affect he had on me. Almost instantly I was calmed and felt safe. It wasn't that strange feeling that didn't belong before- the feeling I had when Jasper was here. This felt perfectly right.

Edward acknowledged Carlisle as if to give him permission to continue. Carlisle used the stethoscope to listen to my heart.

"There it is," he lingered just over my left breast. "A normal human doctor would never catch it, in fact I'm quite sure no diagnostic machine would catch it either, but there it is."

"May I?" Edward asked Carlisle as he reached out. Then it was Edward's hand holding the stethoscope in place and Edward that was listening to my heart. It felt strangely intimate and my heart picked up pace a little.

Carlisle spoke, "I didn't even hear it until I used the stethoscope the first time, the blood flows just a slight bit differently through the left ventricle, do you hear it?" Edward nodded in acknowledgement. "Nothing wrong, I don't think it would hurt anything, just a little different is all" Carlisle completed his analysis.

"You are truly fascinating," Edward smiled at me and removed the stethoscope placing it around his neck. Now he looked more like a doctor, yet it didn't intimidate me the way the other one did, though obviously Edward had some sort of medical experience as well. Edward picked up the tray and food and put that in front of me. I removed the lid to reveal a rather large sausage and cheese omelet with toast on the side. I smiled at the revelation, breakfast was by far my favorite meal of the day and Edward was two for two.

"Wow, this looks amazing to, thanks Edward, how did you know I liked breakfast food so much?" I asked him.

Edward stood there to my side and tapped the temple of his head, "I had an inkling." He winked at me as I started to eat the wonderful food.

Edward had crossed his arms across his chest and had that look on his face again, "so I've been thinking, putting the pieces together." Well this was probably it- my secret was about to surface, so to speak. "In Port Angeles, I caught a clear thought that you knew if you could make it to the water that you would be able to out swim me. You knew I was a vampire and that I would be able to swim very fast, yet you were certain you'd be able to lose me."

"No doubt, put me in the water and not only could I out swim you, I could give you a real good fight if it came to it." Edward raised his eyebrow at the new information; he believed I was telling the truth. "I'm not saying I would win, I'm just saying I could keep you busy for a while."

Edward nodded and continued, "That's something we'll have to test one day. Then there is your temperature. First of all is the margin by which you run cool, like we noticed earlier. I'm betting that it's more that a coincidence, as I'm sure Carlisle would agree."

Edward nodded towards Carlisle, but Carlisle jumped in there, "Edward, you know I am just as curious as you are, maybe even more so, but she doesn't have to explain any of this to us and I wish you wouldn't prod her, it's not fair."

Edward seemed frustrated, like someone just took away his Rubik's Cube just as he was about to solve it. When Jake got here, they would find out anyways, so I decided to allow Edward his chance to solve the puzzle.

"Thank you Carlisle, but it's ok. What do you think the mutt and I have in common Edward?"

"Quite a few things, actually," Edward replied. "You eat allot, well you eat more than him, but still allot. You heal faster than a regular human and you smell different. Not bad by any means, not like Jacob, it's a wonderful fresh scent. Then there is the whole 10.3 factor."

"So I'm like Jacob, but not," I encouraged.

"You're a shifter, but not a wolf." Edward decided.

"Ok, so let's say I'm a shifter, what do you think I change into?" I was curious of his theories, there was really no way he'd be able to guess.

"Well, there is the temperature factor, I think that's important. Jake is hot, he becomes a mammal; you are cold so maybe you become an animal that is cold blooded: amphibian, insect, reptile or a fish. Since you still maintain that you could out swim me and Jacob called you, 'Swan _of the Sea'_, I'm going to say some sort of salt water fish. Though, I don't know any fish that can out swim me."

Then I let my mind wander to what it was like when I shifted. I could tell Edward was there with me as he closed his eyes along with me. The freedom of the ocean and it's soothing rhythmic waves where fresh in my head. I truly loved that form and what it felt like to be able to breath more deeply then I ever could on land. To take the sea into me, salt and all and let it feed my body. The speed I could gain underwater was exhilarating as I showed Edward just how fast I could go. I showed him the clarity my eyes could see underwater, the different hues and colors that the water filtered. I let him listen to the sounds of whales and dolphins, even the sound a simple starfish makes as it crawls up a rock. I let him feel the power as I remembered moving large rocks and other sunken treasures. Then I paused and gave him his answer, looking where my toes would be and all the way up until my eyes opened and Edward at staring into them speechless.

He stood there like that for a few seconds though it felt like eternity. Then he smile and moved his hand up to his hair playing with it. "No, I would never had guessed that, wow, absolutely amazing, I mean really, just amazing!"

"Is it possible that everything is true?" Edward asked. "The fairy tales and horror stories? Is it possible that there isn't anything sane and normal at all?"

"Edward?" Carlisle asked sounding a little impatient.

"Mermaid."

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**A/N: Ohhhhh, so what do you think? Did you guess right? Excited or disapointed? Please share, unlike Edward, I can't read your thoughts so click those magical green letters below and the story will continue....**


	7. Chatting with Jake

**A/N: So a mermaid shifter! I'm excited to see where this goes! As always reviews are apprecieated, infact I've enabled anonamyous reviews, so if you don't have an account, you can still review (of course I will quickly disable it if spam occurs). Anyways, enjoy!**

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Chatting with Jake

Carlisle just stared at me for a few moments, and then shrugged his shoulders and smiled, "Mermaid, hmmm, I'd love to see that."

"I'd be happy to show you, but not today if you don't mind," I replied.

"Jacob's here," Edward announced.

"Excellent, I'll go down to greet him," Carlisle said. "I'll be right back," he put his hand on my shoulder for a brief moment and then made his way out of the room.

Then the inquisition started.

"Can you only breathe salt water or fresh water as well?"

"Either, I do better in salt water though."

"Is it only women in your tribe that can shift?"

"Yes, the shifter gene is dormant in males."

"How do you communicate when you are," he hesitated and smiled at me again, "a mermaid?"

His eyes caught my attention for a few moments, the pure amber color that reflected the harsh light. I could stare into them for days and be happy to have lost myself there.

"Bella?"

I was brought back to reality and flushed with embarrassment, "We can communicate telepathically like the wolves, but there really isn't a need."

"Have you ever shifted involuntarily? Lost control? I've seen it happen to the wolves."

I paused, considering my answer, "No, I have never shifted involuntarily."

"There's more to that, what are you not telling me?"

He was getting alarmingly good at reading me. Luckily Jake rushed in at that moment to save me from further questions.

"Bella! We were so worried!" Jake rushed up beside me as Edward took a few steps back. Carlisle walked in behind Jake.

"Carlisle has brought me up to speed- you look like you're doing okay. Can't believe you told them! I was all prepared to sing the National Anthem repeatedly in my head to keep the nosy one out."

Edward rolled his eyes, I knew Jake's plan wouldn't have worked either. Edward nodded his head in agreement.

"Thanks Jake, now would you mind telling me why you are friends with these vampires?"

"Ohh yeah, sure! We had some new born vampires in town last week, killing on our lands. Turns out the Cullens here were hunting them as well and the terms of our treaty where really getting in the way. So we worked out this awesome plan and lured out the newborns into our trap while still keeping the treaty in tact. I was able to take one down all on my own, you should have seen it Bella! He was huge!" Jake made motions indicating the size, "But a stray got its arms around me, cracked like three ribs, right Carlisle?" Carlisle nodded in response as Jacob continued, "anyways the doc brought me back here, this very room in fact, I had a punctured lung, he totally saved me. So relations between the pack and the Cullens have improved of late, the pack feels in debt to them for saving their Alpha."

"And you didn't think to call to tell me any of this?" I asked him.

"I figured we'd talk about it when I saw you! Heck I had even planned to give you the opportunity to meet them for yourself."

"Alright Jake, speaking of calling, can I borrow your phone? I should probably call my folks and let them know I'm ok."

"I called them on my way over and let them know you were safe," he said as he handed me the phone. "We've been combing the Olympic Peninsula all week."

I found the number in his recent contacts and hit dial. Edward and Carlisle stepped out to give me some privacy. Jacob stayed, he didn't have any sense of manners, it was part of what made him endearing.

"Hi mom…. Yeah I'm fine…. Big misunderstanding…. Forks…… no Jacob is here, we'll get my car in Port Angeles tomorrow and I'll drive home from there…… Yes, I'll be fine to drive… No, just stay there, I'm fine really… I'll explain more when I get home…. Love you to, bye!"

As soon as I hung up Jacob was at it again, "So you were really starving yourself to death? That's impressive Bells! Impressively stupid and not like you at all."

"Let's drop it, I was in a bad place and thought I might compromise the tribe. I didn't know what else to do."

"Alright, just don't do it again," he said rubbing his fist in my hair. "Hey have you told Carlisle? Maybe he can help!"

I knew exactly what he was referring to, "No, and I don't intend to. I have troubled the friendly vampires enough. He wouldn't be able to help anyways, what could he figure out that our medicine men couldn't? Hundreds of years of history, science and mysticism studied relentlessly by our best, and still no answers. No, there is no purpose, after tomorrow I'll be gone."

"Bella, he's been a doctor for centuries, maybe a fresh perspective would be good, why not try anything and everything?"

Every so often Jacob would surprise me with his hidden wisdom, this was one of those instances. "Alright Jake, I'll think about it, but please let me be the one to ask?"

"Fair enough, so," he paused, "It's good to see you Bella, it's so good!"

Jacob made a big yawn and then I noticed the dark circles under his eyes, "Jake, you're exhausted! When did you last sleep?"

"About two and a half days I guess."

"Jake, ohh I'm sorry!" I replied as Edward walked back in.

"Jake, I made the bed in a spare room down the hall, you looked pretty tired earlier, you're welcome to stay" Edward offered.

"Ok, yeah, I'll take you up on that. Bella you get some more rest to, ok?"

"Sure Jake, I'll get right on that. It's only 4:00 in the afternoon! And I've been sleeping for days straight. You on the other hand look like you're ready to pass out!"

Jake mumbled something as he left. Then Edward pulled up the chair beside my bed, "how are you doing, anything I can get you?"

Well this was going to be awkward, "Umm yeah, I really need to go to the bathroom, but well," I looked down at my useless leg. "If you could just get me to the door."

"I'm so sorry, I forgot, of course!" He rushed to the door and called, "Alice."

Two seconds later a new vampire snuck in behind Edward. She was a small, delicate girl with short pixie cut black hair. She looked pretty harmless, but then again looks can be deceiving. She pranced, literally, over beside me and held out her hand to me, "Hi, I'm Alice, we're going to be great friends!"

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**A/N: Alice see's another chapter in the near future, but before that happens, would you mind sharing your thoughts with me by clicking the green words below. Much apprecieated, thanks!**


	8. Lavender

**Disclaimer: One of my best friends just gave me a Christmas gift, it's and Edward action figure. So therefore it is now official, I own Edward. **

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Lavender

Alice was surprisingly strong for her size. She helped me make my way to the bathroom. Every agonizing step, as I'm sure Edward noticed as he stayed behind in my guest room. I was so stiff and knotted from being laid up for days. As I shuffled and limped my way back into my room, with Alice's help, Edward and Carlisle were having a private discussion in the far corner.

They both stopped speaking as we entered; I hated it when people did that. _Please don't let me stop you from talking about me behind my back, _I thought loudly. He caught it by the look in his face. I cleared my face in an apology, I hadn't meant it I was just uncomfortable and tired. I noticed two big sandwiches on a plate beside the bed that must be for me. Admittedly, I was a little hungry again.

I sat with my legs over the side of the bed and put the plate on my lap and started eating. Ham, turkey and cheese on some sort of fancy sourdough bread, it was pretty good. My back was to them now, it made me slightly uncomfortable mentally, but really it was nothing compared to how uncomfortable I was physically. It just felt like every muscle was knotted and cramped.

I finished the sandwiches quickly. Alice stood in the corner and seemed somewhere else and Edward was entirely focused on her. Carlisle was watching Edward. Ok, this was strange, "Excellent sandwich Edward, thanks." No response.

Alice finally blinked her eyes and seemed to come back to reality. Edward looked at Carlisle and finally stated speaking again, "She only is getting random flashes as well."

Alice looked at me and smiled, "Yes, a little here and there, it's slightly annoying but also fascinating. You and my brother seem to be close and I see you spending allot of time here with us."

"What is she talking about?" I asked Edward frankly.

"Well, Alice has a special talent like mine, only Alice can see the future."

"Ohh, that's gotta be handy!" I replied, "any other super powers I should know about?"

"Yes, Jasper can influence the emotions of those around him."

"Well that explains allot to, is that all?"

"Yep!"

"Ohhhh" Alice interrupted, "that is truly a lovely color on you! Stunning!"

I looked at her confused, the blue nightgown and silky pajama pants were nice but hardly _stunning_.

"She means your," Edward paused looking for the right word, "tail? Fin?"

"Fin," I corrected. He smiled and laughed at Alice as she pranced out of the room.

"Where is she going?" Carlisle inquired of Edward.

"Shopping for Bella of course, she's inspired!"

"Where would she go shopping at this time here in Podunk Forks?" I asked.

"I think she's going to Seattle" Edward replied.

"It's almost six, she wouldn't even get there until nine!"

"Alice" both Carlisle and Edward said in unison as if that would answer my question. Carlisle went back to his clipboard and a couple books I noticed were new additions to the small table in the far corner of the room.

Edward sat beside me on the bed and folded one leg under him so he could face me. And thus began round two of the inquisition.

"So tell me about your family, was your mother a mermaid to?"

I was a little tired and sore still but I enjoyed Edward's company and decided to play along, "Yes, about eighty percent of the women in our tribe are capable of shifting. My mother was a shifter. Like the wolves, we can eventually stop and when we do our lives progress naturally. My younger sister Angela, she is almost thirteen, will probably make her first swim by spring if not earlier." I had a hard time hiding the fact that I was upset by the thought of Angela shifting, so I just continued, "my older brother Mike, moved away to Florida for college last year."

"From what I have seen in your head, it seems to be a wonderful thing to shift to your mermaid form. Why would it upset you that your sister would get to enjoy this to?" Edward asked me.

I took a deep breath; Jake thought I should tell them. I wasn't so sure, but I suppose it couldn't hurt. I looked over to the corner and noticed I had Carlisle's attention to. So I started to explain, "It used to be a wonderful thing, in so many ways, but now it's a death sentence." I had their attention as Carlisle stood up and walked over pulling up a chair in front of me. "We don't know why, but we're dying. We have hundreds of years of history, science and excellent doctors and they can't figure it out. The first year we lost five girls, the next year seven, then nine. As of this month we are at ten for the year. It's killing my generation."

They were silent for a while then Carlisle asked sympathetically, "It must be very upsetting, would you tell me what happens?"

I looked to Edward and said, "Remember when you asked me earlier if I had ever shifted involuntarily?"

"Yes, you didn't give me an honest answer" he said.

"No, I was completely honest. I have never shifted involuntarily. But that is essentially what happens. They shifted and got caught somewhere in between, unable to become fully human or mermaid." I paused but was not interrupted, I could feel the tears start to well up in the back of my eyes as I remembered watching it happen, "you would think one would suffocate quickly, but that's not how it works. It's very slow, starts as just a mild shortness of breath, about an hour later the body is partially shifted and it is a fierce struggle for each breath, whether in water or on land. After about ninety minutes it ends, when both the lungs and gills fill with blood. It is the longest ninety minutes of torture," I shook my head tears now streaming down my face, "several of us, myself included, have requested to be euthanized when it starts. Our doctors have agreed to it," I could tell Carlisle was surprised by this. "There is nothing they can do, they can't even make us comfortable or stop the pain," I emphasized defending them.

Edward handed me tissue and once I had tended to my eyes and composed myself I continued. "I'm not scared for myself anymore; it will be quick and easy. Christianity has found its way into our tribe, I rest assured in the salvation of my soul. Yet, I hate that my friends will have to face death with me, I hate that the same fate awaits my little sister."

"I am very sorry for the loss you and you're people have endured," Carlisle started. "I can't promise you I'll be able to help, but I would like to try."

I shook my head, "It's not necessary, we have doctors who continue to study and research. I wouldn't want to be that type of burden to you or for you to feel in anyway responsible when it happens."

Edward spoke up, "Carlisle is the best doctor on the planet Bella; he has centuries of experience with humans and the supernatural. It's worth a try, besides I like having you around."

"You wouldn't have to stay here, of course" Carlisle corrected as Edward gave him a dirty look. "Though you would be welcome to, it would seem time is of the essence and the more you are here the faster I can work."

"I don't know what to say" I hesitated, "thank you."

"I'd like to start with all the information your people have, would you be able to get that to me?" Carlisle inquired.

"Yes, when I go home tomorrow I'll need a couple days to get my affairs in order. I can bring everything back with me" I answered.

"Ok, well, you should probably get some rest," Carlisle said as I yawned on cue. "I don't want you to think we are intrusive, but knowing how it starts, I'm not comfortable leaving you alone. I have a hospital shift that starts in an hour, Edward can you manage?"

"Yes, I'll call if anything comes up" Edward replied.

"Then have a good night Bella, get some rest" Carlisle said as he put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed gently. Then he walked out of the room and shut the door behind him.

Edward got up from the bed and pulled back the blankets for me. I tried to shift my weight around but stopped quickly when my back cramped. I inhaled quickly and froze waiting for it to subside. It took a few moments, but it did, Edward watched as I calmed down and tried to move again.

He put a hand on my shoulder gently to stop me, "Isabella?"

"I'm just a little stiff is all."

"That's more than a little stiff," he tapped his temple, sometimes I hated that he could get into my head occasionally. He walked over to Carlisle's supply that I noticed had grown significantly. "Let me help you out."

I had to crane my neck around to see what he was doing and that hurt to. He was filling a syringe. "Edward, please don't" I asked in a somewhat pleading tone. I watched as he put a cap back on the syringe as he walked back over to me with it.

"It would just make you comfortable so you can rest" he explained as he set it on the table next to me.

"I know, Edward, but the fewer drugs in my system the faster I'll heal and I need to get out of here tomorrow. It's not that bad, I can get through it."

He left the syringe on the table and walked around the opposite side of the bed behind me. I didn't watch him, my neck was cramped enough as it was. Then I felt his hands on my shoulders as he began to gently massage.

"Tell me if I'm hurting you, it's been a while since I last did this for a human" he explained.

"No, that's wonderful, actually a little harder would be good." He did as I asked working his way in towards my neck. It crossed my mind that a vampire with his hands around my neck ought to upset me, but it didn't in the slightest. "Where did you learn to do this?" I asked.

"In a past life, Carlisle and I became massage therapists. Carlisle was looking for a new way to help people and I was simply curious to try something new. We didn't get to do it for long, we drew too much attention." I could hear a slight laugh in his voice that alluded to what I suspected to be a funny story.

Once my shoulders and neck had melted to putty, he to started to move his thumbs down towards my shoulder blades. My eyes had closed and I was barley sitting up on my own. He stopped momentarily then I felt his hands move down towards my waist where he started to pull the night blouse up, just leaving the pants where they were. I lifted my arms in compliance, now that I could do so without pain, as Edward pulled the blouse up over my head. Subconsciously I knew he couldn't see anything from that angle behind me anyways. He put a cool hand on my shoulder and guided me to lie down on my side. Once I did, he quickly pulled up all the covers around me and tucked them up to my neck as I rotated onto my stomach.

"I'm going to get some hot oil; it will help since my hands are cold. Would you like lavender or eucalyptus?" he explained as he made his way to the door pausing for my answer.

"Lavender" was all I said. By now I was pretty close to sleep. He came back a few moments later entering the room quietly and dimming the lights significantly. It struck me again that I shouldn't be this comfortable, or exposed for that mater, with someone I barley knew, a vampire at that. But I had to be honest with myself, I trusted Edward not only with my safety but with my dignity as well, though I didn't understand why.

He pulled back the covers to just above my hips and began where he had left off. I remained awake for a while, enjoying the smell, touch, relief and pleasant warmth of Edward's hands. This was an excellent talent he had. After a while I began to fade into sleep, I admit I was a little sad to be missing any of this, but alas I let go and finally found peaceful rest.

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**A/N: I think this might be my favorite chapter yet. What do you think, please share by reviewing! Thanks, more to come soon...**


	9. Samples

**A/N: Another chapter to enjoy, this might be the last one until after Christmas, so Merry Christmas to all my readers!**

**Disclaimer: Apparently I am on Santa's naughty list, so no Edward for me this Christmas- I don't own any of the Twilight Characters.**

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Samples

I heard a soft knock on the door but I decided not to stir. I was somewhere between dream and reality and it was a wonderful place. This was certainly the best I had felt in months, heck maybe even years. Every muscle in my body was completely relaxed, I was just the right temperature, not too hot or cold but simply pleasantly warm.

I could hear them talking now, but I refused to let that disturb me, "How was your shift?" Edward asked.

"Good, I hear Jacob is still sleeping, he's quite the snorer. When did she fall asleep?" Carlisle asked.

"About six hours ago, she was pretty uncomfortable. I think I got all the knots out, I haven't done this in a while; hopefully I didn't hurt her." I rolled my eyes subconsciously; this was as far from hurt as I could possibly be.

"Edward, you're being silly- listen," Carlisle paused for a moment and there was silence in the room for several seconds. "Her heart is slow and her breathing is steady and unlabored. This is the best she has sounded since she got here. There is no possibility that you hurt her, in fact that might have been the best thing you could have done for her."

"She said the medications can slow the healing process down."

"I suspected that actually, but on the same token it she can't heal unless she rests and can't rest while she is in pain. You did well son."

"What did you bring? Won't they start to notice things are missing at the hospital?" Edward asked sarcastically.

"Even if they did notice, which I highly doubt, they would never suspect. There are a couple of tests that will take a few days to get results on. I'd like to get started before she leaves today."

They kept talking as I slowly started to tread away from the dreams back into reality. The blankets were all tucked up to my neck again and I was lying on my back. Then I noticed my feet. Edward was still working on my feet massaging away. I was certain those were his hands, I knew their touch by now. It felt amazing as he kneaded into the arch of my foot.

"I think she's waking up," I heard Edward say as he started to gently pull each of my toes.

And that's when I decided that maybe reality could be just as good as my dreams. I opened my eyes and saw Carlisle standing beside the bed, "Good morning Bella, how are you feeling?"

"Hi," I was still gathering my thoughts as I noticed Edward stopped and pulled the blankets over my feet. Thinking about it, with how good I felt, I realized it was quite possible Edward had been at it most of the night. Then Edward walked over beside Carlisle and gave me a dazzling smile which I tried to return. "Good, I feel really good."

"Well why don't we take a look at that leg and see if we can't get that brace off?" Carlisle suggested.

"Ok" he left me lying down, which hours ago would have really bothered me and made me nervous. I was finding myself more comfortable with Carlisle, which was probably a good thing considering what was ahead of me. Edward walked closer to stand beside me and lifted my hand to hold it gently. It was his normal thing now.

Carlisle tucked back the covers and pulled up the loose pajama pants to reveal the brace. He slowly took it off as I heard soft snaps and the sound of Velcro being removed. Edward looked at me concerned as if he was waiting for me to betray some sensation of discomfort, but I was fine so I just smiled at him instead. He smiled back and as I had done before I lost myself in his eyes.

"Is anything I'm doing hurting you Bella?" Carlisle asked me. I hadn't even realized he was doing anything.

"No, not at all," I responded.

"Good, the bone is solid, but take it easy for a day or two just to be sure ok?"

"Ok."

"Edward why don't you go get some breakfast started. Maybe wake up Jacob to. I'm going to start those tests and then send up Alice to help Bella get cleaned up." Carlisle then looked to me and smiled as if he had some inside joke, "She got you a few new outfits to choose from to wear home today."

Strange vampires. Edward lifted and kissed my hand before saying, "I'll be right back."

I wanted to protest and demand that he stayed, but instead I just nodded my head. Edward turned around and I watched him leave. Carlisle adjusted the bed up so I was in a somewhat sitting position with the blankets tucked securely around me. I was practically swaddled except for my arms- that was probably Edward who did that.

"So I'd like to get some blood samples, a DNA sample and, a tissue sample from your gills." He almost looked a little too excited about that.

The first two sounded fine, the third one made me a little nervous.

Carlisle started out by swabbing the inside of my cheek for the DNA sample; I had done that before in school so that was familiar enough. Then he came at me with the blood sample kit: one very large needle and six vials. I just closed my eyes trying to keep my breathing even and my mind elsewhere. He was quick about it.

At this point I was pretty proud of myself, I hadn't fussed at all. Then I saw Carlisle walk back over with a more intimidating tray. There were tweezers, sterile scissors, several instruments I had no name for and a scalpel- yep that was a scalpel. Crap, this wasn't going well. He placed the tray on the bedside table and pulled up a chair.

I was frantic at this point and whatever calm I had felt earlier was gone. I had actually moved away from him to the far side of the bed and was seriously debating getting out of bed and taking the sheets with me. He was just sitting there quietly with his hands empty folded on his lap and that same kind, confident smile.

"Isabella, I think it's time we clear a few things up. I fully realize it might take some time for you to trust us, me in particular. I understand that and I don't blame you for being hesitant and even fearful, but keep in mind that the sooner we get on the same page the faster we will be able to work. I think you would agree that time is of the essence."

I nodded in agreement, "I'm sorry. I don't want to be afraid of you- it's just, almost instinctual."

Carlisle smiled again, "Don't be sorry, I need you to talk to me, tell me when you're afraid and I'll talk you through it. Bella, I promise to be honest with you, I need you to be honest in return."

Ok, he wanted me to be honest, I can do honesty. "Honestly, is that a scalpel? I am definitely afraid of scalpels."

Carlisle laughed a little, "Alright, I need it to take the tissue sample. Honestly, it shouldn't hurt, but then again I've never done this to gills before. So here is the plan, I'll go slow and if I'm hurting you, let me know and I'll stop."

Sounded simple enough then Edward walked in the room and I forgot whatever it was I was worrying about.

"I'm baking fresh muffins!" he seemed so proud of himself. "They're in the oven now- you almost done in here?"

"Almost done," Carlisle responded, "I just need that tissue sample."

"Ohhh, I want to see this, can I stay?" Edward asked Carlisle and I.

Carlisle looked to me to answer, "sure, why not?" I decided. Edward was out of the room in an instant and I looked at Carlisle curiously.

"He's washing his hands, he probably wants to help. Edward holds two medical degrees but never got to practice much. It's mostly a theoretical knowledge, but I think he would be really good given the opportunity. If you do not want to be a teaching case, he would understand."

"No, it's fine I don't mind" I answered, and I didn't. Edward was much less intimidating and with him there most of my fears dissipated.

Edward walked back in the open door careful not to touch anything. I rolled back over in the bed toward Carlisle so I was centered on my stomach. My head was facing Edward mostly because I didn't want to know what the scalpel was doing. The blankets where drawn back to just above my waist as I started to get a little nervous again.

"I have agreed with Bella to stop if we cause her any discomfort, you'll need to do the same."

"Of course," he looked me right in the eye and winked as I smiled in return.

"I think I found the openings last night, right here," Edward began as his finger tips lightly ran over two points on my mid back on each side. Yep, he had them. They appeared barley a wrinkle in the skin, never fully transforming like the rest of my body did when I shifted.

"Interesting, I didn't realize what the two extra organs were until you told us you were a mermaid. It's strange that they would be constant in both forms," Carlisle pointed out.

"Our historians believe that a long time ago mermaids could always breathe underwater, even when in human form. Since our gills remain in both forms, it's possible we could at one time, but not anymore," I explained.

"Could that be significant?" Edward asked eagerly.

"Maybe, let's get started."

They didn't talk much after that; I figured Edward was following Carlisle's thoughts. I could feel the gentle pressure of their fingers for a few minutes and it didn't bother me, so I remained quiet and fairly relaxed.

Then there was a pulling sensation that started out mild enough but slowly got uncomfortable, and eventually shocking. It wasn't exactly pain, but it felt all wrong and made me panic. I kept myself still, willing to be more tolerant, I knew they weren't trying to hurt me.

"Bella? Everything alright?" Carlisle asked me.

"Stop," my voice was shaking, "Stop, please." They did, immediately, and the sensation was gone.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Carlisle inquired with his hands just resting on my back. Edward had removed his hands completely and held them fisted in front of him.

I took a few breaths to steady myself, "Yeah, I'm ok. I don't know what that was, it didn't really hurt, it was just- I wanted you to stop."

"Ok," Carlisle wasn't at all flustered by this set back by the sound in his voice. "I'd like to try again, but with a different approach. Tell me if you need me to stop."

"Alright," I agreed with only a bit of hesitation. It started off the same with the slight pressure and then the pulling sensation again. But this time I was ok.

"Is that bothering you?" Edward asked this time.

"No, that's fine."

"We're almost done, Bella, just bear with me a few more moments" Carlisle assured.

Whatever they were doing wasn't causing any discomfort at this point, but still it would be nice to be done, so I nodded and waited patiently.

"Done," Carlisle said as he and Edward both removed their hands. Edward pulled the covers back up and I rolled over.

"I'll send Alice up and check on those muffins, hope you're hungry!" Edward said as he planted a quick kiss on my forehead then walked out.

Carlisle looked at me curiously as my cheeks blushed. Yes, Edward made me blush.

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**A/N: Does Edward make you blush? Please share you thoughts by clicking the review button below, it's like a Christmas gift for me!**


	10. Hope

And now adbide faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love.

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Hope

Alice helped me into a robe and got me to the shower. I took my time, washing my hair twice and leaving in the fancy conditioner for the full three minutes. The towels were amazingly soft and fluffy; everything in this house was extravagant. I put on the robe and found my way back to my room.

The bed was made and much of the medical paraphernalia was cleared out. It looked like a regular room except for the fact there was still a hospital type bed. I noticed the closet doors were left open and inside were several outfits as promised. Folded on a shelf were the necessities that I needed and quickly put on.

Then I started sorting though the outfits. The first thing that caught my eye was a long cocktail type dress. I admit, I liked to dress up upon occasion, but what was the occasion? The dress was lovely, a deep shade of blue trimmed with silver lace, and yes it was a mermaid fit. Was that supposed to be a joke? Did anybody over a size four look good in those? I quickly pushed that one aside, besides I wasn't wearing heels again for a while.

There was another dress: this one was a bit more strappy and shorter than the other. I didn't pay much attention, I wasn't wearing a dress- there must be another option.

Finally I found a pair of what appeared to be designer black jeans, a dark blue, crisp, button down top and a black fitted vest with just a slight weave of silver in the hems. She had the color scheme of my fin down. I put on the outfit and was pleasantly surprised at how nice it looked.

I ran a brush through my hair and left it to dry naturally. I found a pair of cute tennies to and made my way down stairs. I could instantly smell those muffins, they smelled delicious.

Alice was at the base of the stairs waiting for me, she had a pout on her face. "Why not the dress, it was perfect!" she proclaimed.

I smiled at her in response, "I don't think the good doctor would let me wear heels yet, so I thought this would be the best option."

"Well it looks nice to, I suppose. Come on, I'll take you to the kitchen. We have to hurry or that werewolf will eat everything!"

I laughed a little, it was good that Jacob got a head start otherwise _I_ might have eaten everything. When we got to the kitchen I could see the all the food: there were huge muffins the size of my head, and a variety of fresh fruit including grapes, oranges, strawberries and pineapples. I wondered where they found such produce this time of the year, pineapple was my favorite.

Edward was just pulling out a new batch of muffins from the oven, I cringed as I noticed he was not using any sort of glove. He gave me the typical smile as I made my way over to the counter and pulled up a chair next to Jake.

"Hey sleepy head," I greeted him as I sat down.

"Hey gimpy," he greeted in return.

"Not so much anymore, did you sleep alright?" I asked.

"Like a rock, and you?"

"Good, you want to pass me a muffin?" Jacob did and Edward brought over a huge platter of fruit and placed it between us.

"This fruit is amazing!" I complimented as I stuffed a large strawberry in my mouth.

"Glad you like," Edward replied.

"You've given us reason to use the kitchen," Carlisle explained from the sink where he was cleaning some dishes.

After almost thirty minutes of eating straight, Jacob and I were almost able to conquer the entire spread but stopped one muffin short.

"Last one's yours Jake" I surrendered.

"No way! I have no idea where I would put it, you eat it!"

"Jake I'm going to explode as it is, now be a gentleman and eat the muffin!" I demanded.

"How about I wrap it up and you can take it with you?" Edward offered as he grabbed the last muffin and found some foil. The kitchen was clean now as we made out way into the living room. Carlisle, Esme and Alice were already there waiting for us as Edward followed behind.

"I suppose it's time we get going. Thank you doesn't seem to cover it, but thank you anyways" I addressed them all, Carlisle in particular.

"We'll see you soon, Bella" Carlisle said as he walked slowly towards me and gave me a gentle hug and walked away. Esme followed out Carlisle, but Alice pranced up behind and gave me a hug to.

"I'll keep those dresses here for now since you're coming back, don't think you've gotten out of wearing them!" she exclaimed as she pranced up the stairs.

"Thanks for taking care of crazy Bella," Jacob said to Edward as I elbowed him in the side. "I'll go start the car" he offered.

That just left me and Edward in the room. "When do you think you'll be back?" he asked sadly.

_As soon as mermaidly possible_, "Friday, probably. I wish you could come with me."

"I would come."

"No, you can't, not yet at least. I need time to get this straightened out with the elders. I'll be back, I promise."

"I worry about you. Take care of yourself."

"You to," I don't know if I have ever been so conflicted: I wanted to go home but wanted to stay with Edward to. The way I felt about him didn't make sense, it was unfamiliar and disorienting. Yet it was also exciting and made me feel more alive then I ever had before.

He walked up and stood a few inches from me. My heart skipped a few beats at the sheer closeness. He reached down for my hand and brought the back of it gently to his lips. He kissed ever so softly but then lingered with his hand still holding mine. I was lost in his eyes again as he leaned down ever so slowly, giving me ample opportunity to withdraw. Instead I stood up on my toes and met him half way with my lips. It was only a peck; short, sweet and innocent, but it changed everything in that moment. My whole universe shifted and anchored to this one man in an instant, he brought me something I had long ago lost. He brought me hope. He gave me hope at life again.

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**Author's note: As always, I love reviews, keep them coming. We'll get to see Bella in mermaid form soon, I can't wait to tell you what she looks like ;).**


	11. The Significance of Red Roses

**Author's note: So several of the fan fictions I have read recently feature Bella and sometimes even Edward coming from broken homes, hateful or even abusive families. I thought it would be nice to give them both wholesome and supportive families instead. There is plenty of angst to come, so I saw no need to break either family. Hopefully you'll find it refreshing! **

**Thanks for taking the time to review, it means allot to me! Here's to 2010!**

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The Significance of Red Roses

The ride home with Jake was enlightening as he dished all he knew about the Cullens. It was allot of information to take in: how old they were, their history, the vampire culture and how they were different. The more I knew, the more I liked them.

When we finally pulled into the driveway both my parents rushed out to greet me. I hadn't realized how much I had missed them; I loved my parents, they were the two most wonderful people in the world I knew. Jake gave his hellos and goodbyes then made his own way home.

It didn't take much to convince my parents of the Cullen's intentions. Billy, Jacob's father, had already been in contact with my dad and a tribal council was scheduled for tomorrow. After that, I would be sent back to live with the Cullens for a week. I would come home for Angela's birthday weekend, and we would revaluate then.

Everything went as planned, the council agreed, I packed my bags and set up a temporary at home study program with my school. On Thursday afternoon I got a call from Edward.

"Hi Bella, how is everything going?" he started.

"Good, we are mission launch! I'm headed back your way tomorrow, what would be a good time for me to come?" I asked.

"Can you come now? I miss you."

"I wish, but I don't think my folks would approve. I'm not going to see them for a week; they get worried to, so let's not push our luck."

"Fair enough, actually Carlisle wanted me to give you a call. He made special arrangements to run some tests tomorrow and we were wondering if you would just meet us down in Seattle?"

"That's fine, where exactly and what time?"

"Seattle Grace Hospital at 11a.m., I'll meet you in the main lobby. Ohh, and we need you to skip dinner tonight and not eat until after we're done tomorrow."

"Joy! I love to go hungry."

"I'll make it up to you, I already have reservations at the best restaurant in the city and we'll have the whole evening to ourselves."

"You had me at restaurant" my voice betrayed my excitement at a sort of date with Edward.

"Then I look forward to seeing you tomorrow," Edward crooned.

"Have a good night, I'll see you tomorrow Edward," I loved the way his name sounded.

"Sweet dreams, my Swan of the Sea."

With that the line was disconnected and wished it was tomorrow already. I skipped dinner as he asked, but failed to sleep much. Maybe it was the fact that I was hungry, or excited, or nervous or most likely a combination of the three. In any case the night was long and unrestful. I awoke the next morning, threw my stuff in my car and wished my parents and Angela goodbye.

It would be a three hour drive to Seattle. Three long hours I filled with thinking about what Carlisle had in store that had to be done at a hospital, thinking what the week ahead had in store for me, thinking of spending tonight in the city with Edward, and most importantly spending the next week with Edward.

I found the hospital with the help of my new iPhone. My old phone hadn't survived the incident in Port Angeles and my folks had bought it for me as they refused to let me go without a phone.

I walked into the main lobby and looked around. To say he stood out in a crowd was an understatement. Edward stood out like a red rose amongst a bushel of simple white carnations. Speaking of which, he held in his hand what appeared to be a dozen red roses. He knew my favorite was Gerber daises, but red roses carried significance and it wasn't lost on me. Every girl appreciated getting roses, myself included, especially since I had never got red roses before. I walked over to him as he stood up and embraced me in a gentle hug.

"These are for you," he handed me the roses and I could feel my cheeks start to flush to match them. He was a gentleman through and through, unchanged by the harsh progress of time.

"They are lovely, thank you" I simply replied as I was dazzled by his eyes again.

He motioned for me to sit beside him and I did laying the roses across my lap. "Carlisle is finishing up some last minute arrangements. He wants to be sure everything is secure today, that nothing leaks. Of course with me here," he tapped his temple, "we'll be fine, he's just a little over cautious."

"Better safe than sorry," I replied with a smile. "So do you know what he has in store for me?"

"Scans, mostly, stuff we couldn't do back in Forks. X-rays, MRI's, CAT scans; we're leaving no table unturned" Edward explained, "nothing exciting."

That was a bit of a relief, "Not exciting would be nice, you know how I feel about doctors, you can imagine how I feel about hospitals."

"Ahh, yes, but now you have something new to associate with hospitals besides evil doctors," Edward grinned, "you got your first dozen red roses at a hospital."

"You picked that out of my head, cheater" I jokingly harassed. "Ok, now whenever I go to a hospital, I promise to think of red roses."

"Granted, I intend to smother you with flowers everywhere you go. We may need to start a journal of some sort so you are able to keep everything straight- which flowers to associate with what locations."

I just smiled in response taking a moment to smell the roses, they were wonderful. I saw Edward look up and I followed his gaze. Carlisle was walking towards us. He was wearing his full doctor's garb: long white coat, ID card and stethoscope around his neck, it didn't help much with my nerves.

"Good morning Bella, ready to get started?" Carlisle asked as Edward and I stood to greet him.

"Let's get this over with," I responded with a smile.

"Right this way," Carlisle led Edward and me to the elevator up several floors, around hall ways, through doors. The hospital was like a labyrinth that stretched on and on. We ended up in a quiet wing and a secluded room. "Edward and I will step out for a few moments while you change," Carlisle motioned towards the hospital gown on the bed.

I picked it up and looked at it, "Alice would not approve."

"We're not going to tell Alice," Edward proclaimed as Carlisle laughed. They stepped out and I changed quickly sitting myself on the bed when I was done.

There was a soft knock on the door, "come on in" I invited.

Carlisle walked in first with Edward following behind with a wheelchair. I looked at it a little puzzled, then a little scared as my mind jumped to conclusions as to why I would need a wheelchair.

"It's hospital policy and will make you blend in more Bella," Edward stopped my thought train. I appreciated that he answered my fears without revealing them. Edward slipped on a shorter white coat with his own ID and stethoscope.

"Let me guess, you're supposed to be his intern, right? The shorter coat means intern?" I inquired.

"Good guess, Bella, that's right. I figured you would want Edward to come along and he's pushing it to pass as an attending" Carlisle explained.

"I watch those steamy doctor shows- it's never lupus you know" I joked.

"I don't know that I would call _House_ a steamy doctor show" Edward said as he smiled and laughed.

I sat myself down in the chair and Edward pushed me behind Carlisle as he lead the way. Every time we entered an exam room, everything was empty, no other nurses or doctors. I realized how much work must have gone into coordinating this. I owed the doctor much.

It was an easy enough day. Carlisle and Edward kept the mood light, joking about the doctor shows they had watched. We talked about all of them from _MASH_ to _Private Practice_. Turns out Esme was a fan and Carlisle watched quite a bit with her, but apparently he had a hard time keeping his mouth shut through most of it as he was always trying to correct the TV. Esme just liked the romance of loving someone who cared for others like doctors did. Carlisle found them pretty ridiculous, but admitted to enjoying _Scrubs_ upon occasion.

Two hours later, I had drank disgusting chalky water, been injected with dyes and was ready to naw off my own arm in hunger. I was wheeled back into the room we started in, "We're all done, Bella. I'm going to finish up here and Edward will drive your car back to our place tonight. I'll see you then, call if you need anything" Carlisle said as he put a hand on my shoulder and made his way out of the room.

"Take a few minutes if you need," Edward offered me, "I'll wait outside for you when you're ready to go."

Edward stepped out and closed the door behind him. I didn't need a few minutes, I wanted to get out of here and get some food. I threw back on my clothes and slipped into the bathroom briefly to freshen up. I was out the door in just a little over a minute with my roses in hand.

Edward took my other hand and we made our way back out the maze of a hospital. He escorted me to my car and opened the passenger door for me.

"What makes you think I'm going to let you drive my car," I joked.

"I know where we're going; besides we'll get there faster" he said as I climbed in and he shut the door behind me.

"And you got me roses," I pointed out when he entered the driver's side.

"And I got you roses," he said with that crooked smile and started the car.

"Well then, by all means, take me away."

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**End A/N: Yes Edward, please take me away! Are you ready to go on the first date with Edward? If so click the review button and share your thoughts please!**


	12. Trust

**Author's Note: First of all, a big thank you to all those who have taken time to review. I truly appreciate and enjoy it, I'm glad you're having fun with the story to! Now to something important, Edward and Bella's first date!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own the Twilight characters, bah-humbug!**

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Trust

Edward drove through the big city as if he had been doing it all his life. There was full cloud cover that never burned off and a light sprinkle dusted the windshield of my truck. He messed with the radio for a few moments before giving up on it. "So, I hope you like Italian?" he asked me.

"I love Italian, as long as you're okay with the garlic?"

"Myth, garlic is the same as any other food to me- mildly repulsive," he grinned that crooked smile. "Just out of curiosity, do you eat fish?" he asked me.

"No, but it's not a cultural thing; I just can't stand it," I responded.

"So you don't eat when in your mermaid form?"

"No, not at all; we actually can't metabolize food mermaid form."

"Interesting, you still have to show us that you realize, your mermaid form that is. Carlisle is secretly dying to see, though he will never ask, he wouldn't want to impose."

"You on the other hand have no problem asking," I pointed out.

"Nope, I've already seen. Well, I've seen your perception of yourself that is, and honestly peoples perceptions of themselves are rarely ever accurate."

"What do you mean? I know what I look like," I retorted.

"You, like most women, see yourself inadequate. Women these days hold themselves to impossible and unattractive standards. I just don't understand why you all want to look like little girls. Trying to starve away your beautiful curves," Edward obviously had some pretty strong feelings about this.

"You've thought allot about this," I said trying to stall for a good response that would help defend women everywhere.

"I spend allot of time in other peoples heads, and about half the population is female, if only they knew what the other half thought."

"If only! Cut us a little slack though. I know I'll never be a size two or even a four simply because of what I am and the mass amount of food I have to eat, I settle at a size eight. But we are bombarded by the media and what they tell us is attractive. I don't necessarily think the stick figure is attractive either, but we all see our own imperfections, even you I bet don't see yourself right. Maybe, just maybe there is beauty in all of us, from the skinny to the curvy. If only we could see ourselves through the eyes of others rather than by the reflection in the harsh two dimensional mirror or the number on a scale."

"Now that is exactly what I am talking about, that is why you, Bella, are so very special and beautiful, because you have a brain on top of your stunning good looks."

"Well it takes one to know one," I pointed out lamely. I wasn't very good at taking compliments.

"No, you're not. But that's ok, practice will make perfect. We're here." Edward stopped the car and parked in a close spot then had my door open for me before my hand had reached the handle.

"Volterra? Nope, never been here before," I wondered if letting a man who hasn't eaten in almost a hundred years book a reservation was such a bright idea.

"I read the reviews," he assured as he opened the door to the restaurant and walked up to the hostess, "the name caught my attention, it is supposed to be wonderful."

"Right this way," the hostess lead us to a secluded table. The restaurant was not busy, mid day between lunch and dinner.

I ordered a coke, some bread sticks and salad to start then looked at the menu. I was really hungry, but I couldn't possibly order all the food I wanted. I wondered if Edward would run me though fast food afterwards; would he be offended?

"I would not be offended, but I have a better idea. Tell me what you want and we'll each order food. No one is going to watch us eat anyways; they'll assume I ate my share. Not that is matters what they think."

"It looks odd Edward, I don't need to stand out anymore than you do," I said slightly frustrated with his attitude. "It's not that I care that they think I am a pig, I need to blend in to."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," Edward apologized.

"No, I'm sorry, it's ok. How about I order the mushroom ravoli and you order the lasagna?"

"Sounds like a plan," Edward agreed.

Our food was brought out quickly and yes I ate it all, barley coming up for a breath. "Are you full?" he asked as I polished off the lasagna.

"Yep! That was perfect."

"We'll pick up dessert later," Edward suggested as he grabbed the bill.

"That's really not necessary" I said as I reached for it too late.

"I'm a little out of touch with modern customs so please correct me if I am wrong. If a gentleman asks a lady on a date, is he not supposed to pay?"

"Well, yes, but you shouldn't feel obliged to go on a date with me simply because I am your guest. You wouldn't want to mislead me after all."

"In that case I must pay because this is a date and I wouldn't want to mislead you into thinking otherwise."

"Thank you," I smiled at him, at this point I could really only hope that he had a percentage of the feelings I was developing towards him. Feelings that I myself did not really understand. I didn't know anything about Edward, yet somehow I knew everything I needed to know. I knew he was kind, compassionate, curious, fun, I knew he daily battled the monster within and conquered it. I knew him by the people he surrounded himself with, people like Carlisle and Alice. I knew him by his soft touch, the way he kissed me the other day and the way he was cradling my hand on the table now. I knew all I needed to know to make my decision. I loved Edward.

"What are you thinking?" he asked me revealing that he had not overheard my decision.

"About you," I answered him as the waitress brought back the check and I started to gather up my purse.

"I suppose it's only fair, I spend much of my time these days thinking about you, are you ready to go?"

"Sure, where are we going?" I asked as we walked out of the restaurant.

"How good are you at Put-Put?" Edward asked, I almost laughed hearing the phrase put-put come out of his mouth.

"I love mini-golf, but I'm afraid I really suck at it," I admitted as we made our way across the parking lot still holding hands.

"Well then, I suppose we'll have to find a way to handicap me," Edward suggested.

"Ohh, I'm sure I'll figure out a way," I said as I gathered all my will and courage. I stopped walking pulled him back towards me, he gave in and moved closer. "I'm excellent at distractions," I moved my free hand up his back and laced my fingers in his tousled amber hair. Standing on my toes I pressed myself up against him and pulled his head towards mine. Our lips met as his free arm embraced around my back drawing me even closer to him. It was like I had never been kissed before.

I came alive in his arms kissing deeper and now holding him to me with both arms. Edward was following my lead as he now had one arm around my upper back and the other was tightly pulling me at the waist towards him, I'm pretty sure he was supporting most of my weight now.

I ended too soon as Edward drew away, "I'm stronger than I thought, I didn't hurt you at all did I?"

"Hurt me? No, Edward that was amazing, I," I was at a loss for words.

"I'm still a vampire, and you may smell different than humans, but you still smell delicious, we need to be careful Bella," he paused for a moment, "I was holding you too tight, Bella I think I might have hurt you."

"Edward I promise you, I'm more than fine," he wasn't going to take my word for it. I grabbed his hand again and walked him to the far side of the car out of sight of anyone around. I turned my back towards him and pulled up my shirt showing the skin of my back, "see? I'm fine!"

Edward held the shirt up as I dropped my hands to my side. He ran his cool finger tips over the skin and grazed them over the wrinkles that were my gills. It felt like a pleasant electric current flowed wherever his fingers touched. He seemed satisfied after a few moments and pulled my shirt back down as he turned me back around.

"Told you I'm fine," I smiled at him, "You'll find I'm a bit more hardy than the average human."

"Bella, seriously, I need you to tell me if I ever cause you any pain or this is not going to work. I'm not always able to get in your head," Edward seemed genuinely distraught.

"Edward," I said with all seriousness, "I will tell you if you hurt me. I trust you, please also trust me."

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**Alright you know the drill, if you enjoyed, click the review button below; if you were left wanting, click the review button below. Thanks!**


	13. Claustrophobic: Part One

**Author's note: I'm thrilled to hear that you're enjoying this story, keep the reviews coming- you're what keeps me writing! This was going to be one very long chapter originally, but I decided to break it up instead of making you wait. I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year's! Claustrophobic part 2 will be out early 2010!**

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Claustrophobic: part 1

It was by far the best night I'd had in years, easily. After the restaurant, we did two rounds of mini golf. I did all I could to throw Edward off his game but only had mild success. Turns out he is able to fully concentrate on several things at once, which I am not entirely convinced is a bad thing. I did win the second round, but I'm fairly certain he threw the game intentionally.

Afterwards he took me to the Cheesecake Factory for a late dinner and of course cheesecake, because as I pointed out, it is a sin to go to the Cheesecake Factory and not have cheesecake. We talked the whole drive back sharing past experiences and future hopes.

The lights were on in the house as we pulled up towards the garage. Edward grabbed my bags out of the back and had my door open in an instant again. That was going to take some getting used to. He grabbed my hand and walked me up to the door.

As we entered the living room I noticed the whole family was there. Carlisle and Esme were cuddled on a love seat watching_ Grey's Anatomy _on TV. Jasper, Emmet and Alice were playing Risk, while Rosalie was thumbing through a fashion magazine. So this is what vampires did in their spare time.

They all looked as we entered and smiled, well except for Rosalie. Edward had warned me I might not get much response from her. "I'm going to show Bella her room, we'll be back down in a few," Edward said as he pulled me up the stairs.

We got up the stairs and I turned towards the room I had stayed in before, "no, silly," he pulled me in the opposite direction, "you're not staying in the same room, come on." He walked me down the hall and opened the door to a rather large room. There was a tall queen sized bed centered on the far wall with a dark blue comforter and pillows overflowing just below a large shuttered window. The bed was draped in a soft netting that was hung from the ceiling. There was a gorgeous vanity adorned with dark blue ribbons and small sparkling crystals. On another wall was the most amazing mirror cut in the shape of a slender star.

The room wasn't at all dark, but still somehow made me think of the night sky littered with points of light on a clear, crisp night. "This room is amazing, I love how it reflects the night sky," I told Edward.

"Esme thought you might like it, we figured you wouldn't want anything ocean themed," Edward said.

"She did this for me?" I was slightly distraught at this revelation.

"Esme loves to decorate and design. It brings her great joy, she'll be thrilled to hear that you like it. There is a personal bathroom right through that door," Edward pointed, "and you'll find your wardrobe options have increased" he motioned to another door that I assumed was a closet. He set my bag on the chair near the vanity and I looked around the room still fascinated by it.

"If you just want to turn in for the night, it's fine," Edward suggested.

"It's only eight o'clock! I'm not tired, actually I'm really curious who will win that game down stairs. I suspect Emmet is a very aggressive player, but Jasper is quite the strategist from what you tell me. Alice is clearly not a fighter, but the ability to see the future might trump both Jasper and Emmet, not to mention I saw that she already controls Australia, so I'm betting on Alice," I proclaimed.

"I always bet on Alice, you've just about got us figured out it seems," said Edward as we walked back out the door. Coming down the stairs, I noticed the episode of Grey's was finishing up and it looked like Alice had added Asia and South America to her territories. That game was almost over.

We made our way over to the couch where we could watch the game finish. "Welcome Bella, hope you had a good afternoon?" Carlisle greeted with a smile but stayed cuddled with Esme.

"We had a great time; Edward's quite the mini golfer! This is a lovely house you have, Esme that room is enchanting- I love it," I said with true excitement.

Esme glowed as she smiled at me, "Would you like to see the rest of the house?"

"Sure!" I said as Esme and Carlisle got up from the couch.

Edward continued to hold my hand as we wandered the beautiful Cullen mansion. They showed me the bedrooms, the balconies and Alice pointed out her closet (which was larger than several of the guest rooms). Then Carlisle stepped forward in front of a set of double wooden doors and opened them, revealing a large room that had books from floor to ceiling on all the walls. I couldn't hide my excitement at this room as I gazed around with my jaw dropped. "This is my personal study," Carlisle explained. There was a large desk under a window that overlooked the river, several plush chairs scattered strategically. Where there weren't books, there where paintings and art work featuring Carlisle from different eras in history. I could see myself spending days in this room exploring all the books and history.

"It's amazing," I said as I ran my finger along the spines of the first edition books that must have valued thousands of dollars each.

"You're welcome to borrow anything you like while you're here of course or spend time in this room," Carlisle generously offered, "though most of the books are science, you'll find some variety as well."

"Thank you," I said as Edward had to practically drag me out of the room to continue the tour. We made our way back down stairs and walked through the kitchen and dinning rooms; I was struck by what a shame it was they didn't get proper use.

Then we turned down another hall way and headed downstairs. I hadn't realized the house had a basement and I was curious as to why they would show me that room.

A few moments later I could smell it. Edward looked at me with a big smile, taking in my realization, "thought you might like this feature."

"A pool?" I asked.

"Not just a pool, love" he pointed out as the water came into view, "an Olympic sized, heated, salt water pool."

"Wow, I didn't realize vampires liked to swim so much," I said genuinely surprised.

"We do, but we can't go to the local beach at La Push, so this was the natural solution," Carlisle explained as we walked around the pool. I realized it wasn't really a basement so much as a first floor. The far wall was lined with windows that overlooked the now familiar river. The whole room was decorated like the beach on a sunny day.

"Is that a sand bottom?" I asked as I avoided the edge of what was most certainly the deep end at fifteen feet deep, a bit excessive for an indoor/ non-diving pool.

"Yes," Edward answered as if it was no big deal. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised. "So when are you going to show us your mermaid form?" Edward asked.

"Edward, would you please be a gentleman!" Carlisle protested.

Edward had caught me off guard with his forwardness but admittedly that was one of the things I liked about him: he didn't dance around things, instead he faced them head on. Edward looked to the pool and then looked to me.

"Umm, I'd hate to be a party pooper, but I don't think that will work," I explained apologetically as I backed myself up against the window away from the pool.

"Really," Edward was surprised at my response, "why not?"

I hadn't prepared for this situation, who would have known the vampires had a pool in the basement? It made me nervous enough just to be in close proximity to it now that Edward was suggesting I shift in it.

"Bella what's wrong?" Edward was picking up on my thoughts.

I took a deep breath and tried to relax reminding myself I wasn't in any danger. Carlisle, Esme and Edward all stood between me and the pool now. "I'm a bit claustrophobic," I admitted casually with a smile trying to hide my fear.

Carlisle took a step back to give me space with both concern and confusion on his face. Esme had taken a step forward and reached out to comfort me in some way.

It was Edward's reaction that I did not see coming.

He hadn't heard my thoughts.

Edward misread me.

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**Author's note: Edward misread Bella? Yep, he is not perfect and does make mistakes. Agree? Disagree? Please share by clicking the review button below- thanks again!**


	14. Claustrophobic: Part Two

Claustrophobic: Part Two

It was Edward's reaction that I did not see coming.

Edward misread me.

In an instant he had me over his shoulder and was diving playfully into the pool. It wasn't until we hit the water that he realized I was struggling fiercely against him. I desperately thrashed my way to the edge of the pool where Carlisle reached down and pulled me all the way out and on my feet. He didn't keep a hold of me and let me throw myself against the window away from the edge of the pool. I couldn't get my bearings, if I had known where the door was I would have run for that, but I was too panicked.

My mind was racing and it felt like I was sufocating. I breathed faster and faster trying to pull oxygen into my lungs, but it was no use. My heart was racing as my entire body shivered. I saw Esme hand Carlisle a large stack of towels as he approached me slowly. Edward was still in the pool frozen, I wished he would get out already.

Carlisle knelt beside me draping several towels over me, I wasn't cold though. The problem was I still couldn't breathe. "Bella, look at me," Carlisle requested as I met his eyes. "Slow, deep breaths, you're hyperventilating dear. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth," he instructed calmly.

Easy to say for the vampire who doesn't actually breathe. I tried to follow his direction, but it still felt like I was drowning. Alice burst in through the exit, "Edward! What did you do!" she screamed. It woke Edward up as he quickly got out of the pool and was beside me.

"Alice, go get my bag upstairs," Carlisle ordered. Edward was holding my hand but it wasn't helping, I still couldn't find air. Alice was back in an instant and handed Carlisle a bag. He quickly got out the stethoscope and had it on my back for just a few short gasps. "Bella, sweetie, you're okay," Carlisle looked relieved, "just breathe- slow down."

I was getting light headed and my vision was blurring. That was when Edward finally spoke, "hold on, let me try something. Bella, I'm going to scoot you forward a little." Edward made enough space to where he could sit down behind me. Then he securely wrapped one arm around my waist and the other went around my rib cage, across my chest with his hand resting over my heart. "Bella, listen to me," Edward softly whispered in my ear, "There's nothing wrong, you can breathe." I could still hear his voice so I tried to focus on that, "Bella, I want you to match how fast I'm breathing, we're going to do this together."

Edwards breathing picked up, I could feel his chest rapidly rise and fall against my back. I tried to do what he said, his rhythm was only slightly slower then mine. After a few moments my lungs matched his pace. He progressively slowed down bit by bit, bringing me back to reality and out of the nightmare. Carlisle picked up my wrist and kept hold following my pulse.

I don't know how long I sat there, everyone was just quiet. I finally found my voice, "Gosh, I'm such an idiot, I'm so sorry." If I could have been more flushed than I already was, I'm sure I would have blushed.

Edward moved so both of his arms were around my waist, still holding on to me thankfully. "Bella I'm so sorry, I misunderstood, I had no idea, I'm so sorry," Edward began what was sure to be a long, heart wrenching apology.

I stopped him there, "Edward, I'm alright, you just caught me off guard." I owed them some sort of explanation beyond that.

Carlisle had released my hand but was still kneeling beside me, "have you ever had a panic attack like that before?" he asked.

"Yeah," I paused, "I had a bad experience a few years back, when I said pools make me claustrophobic I wasn't kidding."

"I don't understand," Edward asked, "This is a huge room and pool, I could get it if we were in an elevator or something, but this is a big room, I thought you were joking. I'm so sorry."

"Edward, let's get her out of here and dried off," Carlisle suggested. I nodded in response since I wanted to get out of that room. Edward picked me up and carried me upstairs to my room.

"Are you going to be okay?" Edward asked me as he shut the door behind him leaving us alone. I could tell he was still reaming himself over the incident.

"I'm fine, just give me few moments to dry off. I'll meet you and Carlisle in the study?" I suggested, it was a room I could relax in and be able to talk to them.

"I'll wait for you there," with that he stepped out. I decided to take a quick shower, it would help me relax. I dried off and slipped into my cozy sweatpants and night shirt. I just didn't see the point in getting dressed again now that it was well past nine. I found a pair of fuzzy slippers Alice left me in the closet and was very thankful for her foresight. I shuffled my way down the hall to the study where the doors were open. Carlisle sat behind his desk, thumbing through a book and Edward rose form his chair across from him as I approached.

Edward pulled out the other chair in front of Carlisle's desk and I took a seat ,pulling my knees up to my chest. Edward sat beside me. "You don't have to explain, Bella," Carlisle said.

"No, I want to, besides, if I don't that one will torture himself over this for days to come," I smiled and tilted my head towards Edward. Carlisle nodded in agreement.

"I was thirteen, and had just shifted for the first time a few days earlier. It's tradition to have a pool party in celebration. We had it at my friend Jessica's house, she has a salt water pool to. The girls shift back and forth in the water, play games and have fun; it's almost like a coming of age celebration" I started my story, "the other girls had gone inside to prepare the cake but I stayed in my mermaid form still in the pool. Some of the tribe boys had joined me in the water and were playing Marco Polo. I wasn't playing, I was only watching the fun. It seems so silly looking back on it."

They didn't interrupt me but just listened as I continued, "I suppose it won't make sense unless you know the nature of how we shift. So much of what we do is opposite of the wolves. They occasionally shift when angered and can be fueled by rage. Mermaids on the other hand have to be calm and relaxed in order to sift forms back and forth."

"Anyways, the boy who was 'it' yelled, 'Fish out of water'. Then he opened his eyes and all the boys came after me. I had no where to go and there were too many of them. We can't talk or scream for help in that form. The boys didn't know any better, it was just a joke to them. They got me out of the pool while I was still in my mermaid form and threw me on the cement as I flopped around like a fish. I couldn't breathe, but the boys thought I would be able to just sift back" I stopped, trying not to relive it in my head.

Edward finished my train of thought, "Of course you couldn't shift while you couldn't breathe. I'm so sorry Bella."

"Edward, would you stop apologizing already! I wasn't out of water long, my mom saw what was happening and got me back in the pool and calmed down enough to where I could shift. Over the years, I've gotten better about pools and can swim in them but I never shift into my mermaid form in them. I've been tossed in a pool since then. It should have been fine Edward, you just caught me off guard, you were asking me to shift and it all just fell apart. No harm done, I'm fine."

"We'll go down to a beach so you can shift in the ocean," Edward said.

"I thought you said you weren't allowed on the beach?" I asked Carlisle.

"We'll go to a different beach- it will be a couple hours drive but that's fine," Carlisle solved.

"No, that's silly. I'll get over it. Just not tonight alright?" I was ready for bed, it had been a long and overall wonderful day.

"I bet Jasper could help us out some," Carlisle suggested.

"That's a great idea actually," Edward mused.

I nodded, I was willing to try. It didn't seem like such a big deal now. I let out a long yawn and stretched my arms.

"Time for the mermaid to go to bed," Edward said as he stood up and reached for my hand. I took it and stood up beside him.

"Thank you Carlisle for you're help, have a good night," I wished him as we exited.

"You to Bella, sleep tight."

Edward walked me down the hall and back into my room. He sat down on the bed beside me in the dark room. I could tell he was still upset, it was annoying.

"Why so sullen Edward Cullen?" I joked.

He smiled at that, "I ruined our date."

"Are you kidding me? No you didn't! Edward I had a great time! You made one mistake and had no idea. I still trust you entirely," I wrapped my arms around his waist and back and pulled him towards me. I lifted my face to his and met him with another kiss. He softened and wrapped his arms around me in return holding me as if I was very breakable. "Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" I asked him.

"Bella I will stay with you forever."

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**Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! The story is about to get angsty, because it's Twilight after all. But before we go there, Edward and Bella would like to have some fun. Where would you like to see them go? What would be a fun date for them? Tell me by clicking the review button below and sharing your thoughts, if you give me a good idea that will work with the story, I'll use it! Hope you had a great New Years!**


	15. Scattered Stones

Scattered Stones

Turns out I was pretty tired. I slept soundly all night, not waking until almost nine in the morning. Just when I saw what time it was, there was a soft knock on the door as Edward entered in with a large tray full of food.

"Thought you might like breakfast in bed," he smiled at me.

My hand went to my hair and tried to tame some of the mess, but I gave up after a few strokes. Hopefully Edward wouldn't judge me by my bed head hair.

"You're beautiful always, love," he answered picking the thoughts out of my head.

"Sometimes more than others though," I retorted. Edward just rolled his eyes at me as I started to dig in. Edward went to open the shutters over my bed and revealed the sun shining brightly, a rare delicacy in Olympic Peninsula.

"Due to inclement weather today, you'll be stuck with a full house of vampires. Including me, so what do you want to do? Have you ever been rock climbing?" Edward asked.

"Doesn't Carlisle need me for something?" I asked.

"He's pretty much in the research stage, he'll need you for odds and ends; probably later on in the week and he still wants to see you in your mermaid form. He can get you out to the beach Monday, so there is no need to try in the pool," Edward explained.

"Then you wouldn't be able to see me, since you'll be at school" I pointed out as I polished off the last pancake. "Let me try shifting down stairs. If I can't, then we'll explore other options, but I'd like to try. Is Jasper staying home today to?" I enquired.

"He is and I talked to him about it, he's willing to help," Edward cleared the bed tray and set it on a table in the corner.

"How about this: I'd like to go for a short jog- it will help me clear my head. Then I can get ready for the pool."

"Sounds like a plan, I'll let Carlisle and Jasper know. Would you be uncomfortable if the others were there to, they're a little curious- but don't feel obligated."

"No, it's fine, but I'd hate to disappoint them if I'm unsuccessful. What was that about rock climbing? Yes- I've been before, but I'm not very good."

"You will never be a disappointment, Bella. There are some cliffs nearby in the National Park that are fun to scale when it's not raining. I thought you might enjoy an outdoor activity this afternoon since the weather is so nice."

"Sounds like fun."

"You're not going to get hurt or lost on your jog right?" Edward asked with a smirk.

"I don't know, Forks is a pretty dangerous town," I pointed out sarcastically.

"Fair enough. There is a trail made from our hunting excursions to the south side of the house. It weaves through the trees and leads to an old, broken down cottage. It's about three miles round trip to the cottage and back. If you're not back in forty-five minutes, I'll send the rescue squad."

I nodded in response and Edward headed out of my room with the tray in hand. It would be nice to have time to myself. I quickly threw off the covers once the room was clear and headed towards the bathroom. I washed my face and pulled my hair into a ponytail. I dug through my luggage to find the workout clothes and slipped into them then made my way downstairs and out the front door of the seemingly empty house. Vampires must be otherwise occupied. Some instinct told me Edward was watching me, but he respected my space and my need for some alone time.

I kept the pace slow and steady enjoying the scenery. The trail was easy enough to find and keep track of. I managed not to trip over the roots and rocks, which was an accomplishment in of itself. It only took me fifteen minutes to get to the cottage so I decided to take a break and walk around it.

I imagined it would have been cute and endearing in its day. The old stones lay scattered as ruble around the frame of a fire place. I could see where the living room was, bathroom and just one small bedroom. It would have been perfect for some cute retired couple that wanted to live the rest of their lives away from civilization.

I sat down on what would have been the front step and reflected. I was envious of the old couple I'd made up that lived the last years of their lives here. I imagined them being young and in love, getting married, maybe even eloping. They had kids, then grand kids and even a few great grand children. One day they found this perfect slice of heaven and decided to end their story here.

It made me jealous that this was a slice of heaven I would never get to enjoy with Edward. My years were most likely numbered, but I had hope these days that maybe they weren't. I had hope now that Carlisle would be able to help. Yet even in a best case scenario, one where the cure is found, Edward and I would still be parted one day.

What was so frustrating was that I had the answer to how we could spend our lives together. Even if Edward did go for it, which I thought he might, my family would never agree to it or allow me to do it. I understood and even agreed why. I wondered how long I had until one of the Cullens suggested it. I would have to pray that when it came up, Edward wasn't there; and if he was there- that he wouldn't be in my head. I still had one secret I couldn't share with the Cullens because it simply wasn't mine to share and the price was too high.

I refused to cry and decided to sprint back to the house to clear my head. I got back and ran up the steps to meet Edward. When I saw him there it simplified my life. I decided I was going to live as I threw myself into his embrace. I was going to be cured and I would have many years of youth ahead of me if I maintained my mermaid form and kept shifting. Edward and I had time, and that was all I could ask of the universe.

"Have a nice run?" he asked me.

"I did, that must have been a cute cottage in its day. Do you know who lived there?"

"I don't, was newly empty when we first bought the house here. We bought both properties, but never used it. Esme used to talk about fixing it up, but we just didn't see the purpose" Edward explained as we walked up the stairs.

"So, I'm going to change and I'll meet you down stairs in a few?"

"I can't wait to really see you," Edward replied eagerly.

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**Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews, I eagerly read them all! I know this was a short (but significant) chapter so I'll try to get another one out soon. As always, you are my Muse, click the green button below and share your thoughts!**


	16. Beauty and Power

**Author's Note: This really isn't a chapter- it's more of a short excerpt from Edward. As Edward pointed out earlier, Bella doesn't quite see herself right. So the only way for you to get the full effect of what she looks like, I had to hop into Edward's head for a few minutes, enjoy!**

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EPOV

We must have been a funny sight, seven vampires all sitting on the edge of a pool with their bare feet in the water.

Emmet wanted to see how strong she was in the water while Rosalie was just along because Emmet was there. Jasper and Alice had purpose, as we had discussed before. Jasper would help Bella be able to relax enough to shift and Alice was looking out for anything that could go wrong. Carlisle was there for obvious reasons and Esme wanted to show her support. I was here for Bella, to help her do this how ever I could. Alice instructed that I should put on swim shorts. I hoped Bella might let me in the water with her, but I was only going to join her on invitation.

Bella walked down the stairs slowly with a large bath towel wrapped around her lovely form. She was quiet until she got to the edge of the pool and smiled as she dipped her toe in to test the temperature.

"Nice," she approved of the warmth. "Jasper that is quite the talent you have," she said as she looked at my brother. It was quite a talent, Jasper was often written off once Alice and my abilities were discovered. But really, Jasper's abilities had proven key to our safety and success almost as many times as mine or Alice's had.

Bella removed the towel and folded it on the edge of the pool. She was wearing a bikini top and some sort of simple, loose cotton skirt. I could hear Alice cringe though she didn't say anything thankfully. It made sense, no reason to ruin any clothing shifting.

"Alright, so once I shift," Bella was laying out the ground rules as I followed along her thoughts: _on the off chance that I can actually do this, _"I won't be able to speak and since Edward's ability is a bit spotty on me, I want to be sure you understand that you can't take me out of the water." She didn't really think it was a risk, but wanted to make it clear.

"Jasper, I should only need your help when I am shifting back and forth. I can maintain the mermaid form on my own."

"I understand, Bella, you're safe," Jasper replied with confidence.

Bella nodded and stepped down the stairs of the pool slowly. Her thoughts were clear as she just enjoyed the peace of the water. She walked midway down the pool to where the water lapped gently at her shoulders.

Her ankles twisted and seemed to lock together as midnight blues interlaid with rich silver wound its way up her legs like ribbons binding them together. The color was magnificent as it engulfed her body and shimmered even in the harsh, unnatural light in the basement. The scales stopped three inches below her left hip but then angled up over her right hip as they continued to wind their way across her back, slowly getting sparse. The scales ended by wrapping modestly across her chest like hundreds of tiny fingers reaching for her right arm.

Once the transformation was complete, I could see the small and delicate details of her mermaid form. Her hair had grown several glimmering silver and blue strands as her skin sparkled much like mine did only much more subtle. Her eyes turned the same blue as her tail.

She quickly shimmied out of the cotton skirt and took off the bikini top tossing them out by her towel. Then with one slight thrust of her fin she was over in front of us allowing a closer look. Just her head was over the water as I could now see her gills fully revealed as slits in her back taking in the salt water. She held out a hand to both Carlisle and I as we both grabbed hold and took a closer look as her skin.

I could hear Jasper as he slowly retreated out of Bella, as she had requested, to leave her on her own. I could hear all of my families awed reactions- even Rosalie's, but I was fully concentrated on Bella. She was silent to me now, I suspected I may never be able to hear her in this form, but she seemed okay. She ducked under the water then lifting her fin up into the air and into our awaiting hands. It wasn't at all like a fish, and still exactly like a fish. She had the small scales, but the touch was not at all slimy or slick, it was velvet soft yet still strong and firm just beneath the surface. The beauty and grace of the fin hid it's true power.

I could hear Carlisle agree, he imagined not only was the bone structure and strength doubled, but the sheer mass of muscle would make her a very strong swimmer. She probably could out swim me. I gently and curiously reached my free hand down to about where her knee would have been. Neither I nor Carlisle were restraining her in any way, so I figured if she disapproved she would move away. She didn't, instead once my hand reached that point, she bent and curled her tail revealing what must have been nearly twenty joints from her mid fin to the tip- like a vertebrae. That would make her extremely agile on top of the strength.

Carlisle was getting a kick out of this, and I was just simply stunned. Bella was as I had always suspected: the most beautiful creature I had ever seen.

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**A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed the look into Edward's head, now back to the story... Please click the review button below and share you thoughts!**


	17. I'm Not Going Anywhere

**Author's note: I hope you enjoyed the quick look into Edward's head, now back to your regularly scheduled fan fiction...**

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I had packed for this, so I easily grabbed the black, modest bikini top and the cotton skirt- no reason to ruin the matching bikini bottoms in the shift. I let down my hair and wrapped a bath towel around myself making my way down stairs.

When I walked into the basement and immediately felt Jasper's presence, now that I knew what I was looking for. It all seemed perfectly normal, seven vampires in a room with one mermaid about to trap herself in a pool.

Walking to the edge of the pool, I dipped my toe in to test the temperature. Not at all nervous or uncomfortable around the edge, I complimented Jasper on his unique ability. I explained that I would need to stay in the water once shifted and that I would only need Jasper's help, shifting back and forth. I wanted my emotions back while I was in the water- it was a control issue, I needed to be playing with a full deck of cards.

"I understand, Bella, you're safe," Jasper replied with confidence.

Laying my towel beside the pool, I walked down the steps into the pool. Once I got to where the water lapped safely at my shoulders, I shifted.

I lightly swam over in front of Carlisle and Edward giving them each a hand. They were the two that I knew the best and trusted the most. Jasper had stopped what ever he was doing, so I was a little cautious. I needed to see what they would do with my hands while I watched before I let them see my fin. Carlisle took notice of the slight webbing between my fingers, but Edward seemed to only notice the subtle sparkle. Neither one of them made any sudden movements or were actually holding onto my hands, I could have easily pulled away.

Ducking my head below the water, I placed my fin in their awaiting hands. I fought the urge to pull away from them as they lightly touched the edge of my fin. I knew I was extremely vulnerable trapped in a pool like this, but I was fairly relaxed as I also knew those hands wouldn't hurt me. Then I could feel Edward's familiar touch as he reached mid way down my fin. My natural reaction to him was to give, to follow his lead. My fin curled in response. I could hear his sweet laughter at seeing the fin bend like that.

I let them continue to touch for a few minutes, but then grew slightly bored. Pulling away I gave a big push from my fin and propelled myself to the far side of the pool in an instant. Then I decided to take a risk, it was unprecedented, something I hadn't done since the incident. But it was time. I swam over to Edward and held out my hand to him again.

He had no idea and didn't even see it coming. I moved quick, grabbing his arm and pulling him hard into the water with me. It was my revenge from last night and the best part was by the time he figured out what I was doing he was already submerged. I let go of him once he hit the water and moved out of his reach. He burst through the surface of the water laughing hysterically and immediately getting it. I would have loved to be able to join him laughing, but I just smiled mischievously instead. The entire Cullen family seemed amused by it.

I appreciated that he stayed where he was and waited for me to come to him. It didn't take me long to swim back beside him and plant a kiss on his cheek. Then I took his hand and we made our way back towards the stairs in the pool. I stayed low and let him take off his shirt. I motioned towards the other end of the pool and he got the hint.

He took off at the same instant that I did, but only a moment later I emerged at the deep end and watched him follow behind me. I really didn't have enough space to get up to my fastest speed, but I think the family got the hint. I saw Emmet hand Jasper a small stack of bills and realized they had made some sort of bet that Emmet just lost. Edward came to a stop beside me, just within arms reach.

Carlisle stood up and motioned for the others to follow as he walked back up the stairs. I looked at Edward curiously. "They're just giving us some space, did you want to get out?" I shook my head _no._ "Jasper will come back when you're ready. How about you just swim to the steps when you want to get out?" I nodded _yes_.

The hour that followed was possibly the best of my life. We played like children: splashing, chasing and even doing gymnastics underwater. Towards the end we just sunk to the bottom of the deep end. Edward had my bottom in his lap and was just running his hands along my fin back and forth. I'd never let anyone let that close to me before in my mermaid form, actually come to think of it, I wasn't sure I had let anyone that close to me in my entire life.

Edward eventually rotated out from underneath me and swam up to the surface. I followed behind. Once my head was above water I saw Carlisle waiting near the shallow end. I looked towards Edward curiously, "It would be helpful to run some basic tests while you're in this form as well. Carlisle though he would give you the opportunity to just get it over with if you would like?" I contemplated it for a few moments, I would prefer to procrastinate on that type of thing but if I waited until later in the week, Edward might not be here. I nodded my head in agreement.

We made our way to the shallow end and I sat down on the bottom step with my shoulders a few inches above the water. Then Edward walked up the steps to get out. I quickly grabbed his ankle and stopped him and looked at him frantically. "I'm not going anywhere, love, relax." I nodded but didn't actually calm down at all.

"Hi Bella, would you be okay if I came in the water with you for a few minutes?" It was like I was back at square one with Carlisle and he saw it in my face as I bit my lower lip. Being in the water with Edward was one thing, but I wasn't sure I was ready for this. Edward had walked back over and set Carlisle's bag by his feet. He walked back in the water without hesitation and took my hand in a familiar way. I nodded to Carlisle.

Edward pulled me back away from the stairs and I floated with my fin resting on the floor of the pool and my back to Carlisle. Edward gave me that huge smile and now held both of my hands in front of us. "He's just going to listen to your breathing," I turned my head to glance behind but Edward freed one of his hands to grab my chin and slowly turn my head back towards him. Edward didn't want me to see what was going on behind me and that had me concerned. He let go and took hold of my free hand again. Then he gazed past me and nodded his head. I felt Carlisle put a hand on my right shoulder and moved my hair over my left shoulder with his other hand. Carlisle kept his one hand on my shoulder and used the other to place the stethoscope on various points on my back. It was familiar, yet different. "We're not going to hurt you, you understand that right? Edward asked as I felt Carlisle move away.

I was calming down and I nodded even giving Edward a small smile. Then I felt Carlisle's hands around my right gill. I instinctively pulled away, it would be as if he had reached out for my mouth, anyone would have pulled away. Edward continued my motion bringing me closer to him and wrapping his arms around me securely.

Now I felt more trapped than safe. I fought every urge to push him away or try to free myself from his grip. To my own surprise and thankfully better judgment I wrapped my arms around him instead. Carlisle's hands returned, but I was quite proud of my reaction to them. Rather than fighting or trying to get away, I simply pulled Edward closer to me. I knew what Carlisle was doing now- he was getting a tissue sample again. It made sense for him to get one in this form to see the differences, especially since so much of what went wrong when we got sick seemed to stem from our gills. It was a good thing Edward was fairly indestructible because I easily would have crushed a normal person by now. He wasn't fazed by it at all. His hold had loosened some and he was now running his finger tips in small circles around my shoulders.

Once Carlisle was done Edward removed my arms from him and brought them back in front of us holding my hands again. I heard Carlisle exit the pool quietly, "I'm all done Bella, sorry about that" Carlisle apologized. "Do you want me to fetch Jasper for you?" he asked. I shook my head no at Edward and made my way back towards the steps grabbing my bikini top and skirt. He got out of the water leaving me by myself as he dried off still watching me.

It took a few minutes for me to calm back down after Carlisle left. Edward was just quiet and didn't seem agitated by how long I was taking. After about ten minutes I was able to shift back into my human form and quickly stepped out of the pool grabbing my towel.

I coughed the stagnant air out of my lungs that had been sitting there for the past few hours. "You alright?" Edward asked as he came up in front of me and held my shoulders looking into my eyes.

I cleared my throat and answered him, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just have to clear out my lungs." My voice was still a bit wraspy.

"Why don't you head upstairs and get cleaned up and I'll make some lunch?" he suggested.

"Sounds great," I responded, "we still get to go play on cliffs this afternoon right?" I asked.

"Absolutely!" Edward promised.

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**A/N: Please share your thoughts by reviewing, thanks!**


	18. Gold

"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all who wander are lost" -J. R. R. Tolkien

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Gold

I wondered how I got myself into a situation like this.

I was hanging off the side of a cliff with Edward sitting at the top with his legs playfully dangling over the edge as he gave me tips. "Use your legs Bella," he instructed as he gave a gentle pull on the rope encouraging me to start moving again. My feet didn't feel as secure as my hands did but my arms were shaking so I followed his direction and pushed up with my legs. "Good!" he encouraged as I reached for another hold.

"It's a good thing I'm not afraid of heights," I pointed out.

"I find it rather amusing. You are horrified of needles, pools and my dad; but hanging off a cliff forty feet up you seem to be having fun."

"I am having fun, and I'm not afraid of your father, just of doctors in general- and I think I've done very well lately. He doesn't take it personally you think?"

"Nah, I know he doesn't. He likes you."

"Well that's good I suppose," I said as I pushed up with my foot again reaching for another hold. My fingers slipped and couldn't keep grasp of the small crack as I came off the rock and swung there by the rope for a few moments. That was the third time I'd come off and I was a little frustrated that I couldn't do this.

"Can you grab back on love?" Edward asked.

"Yeah, hold on." I reached out an arm and grabbed the ledge below the crack that had escaped me and pulled myself back towards the rock finding the other foot holds. I looked up at the vertical crack again, it was easily in my reach but I wasn't sure how I could get a strong enough hold on it sideways like that.

"Ok Bella, I want you to reach your left hand up to that crack and slide your hand all the way in then fist it and pull yourself up- do you see the next hold?"

"Yeah, I see the one I want."

"Yep, that's the one to go for," he confirmed. I did as Edward instructed and continued my climb up.

It only took about ten more minutes and one more fall before I reached the top. "You're not so bad at this," Edward commented as we dangled our feet over the edge enjoying the view of the National Park.

I raised my eyebrow to him, "It's not my best skill, but I'll admit I'm impressed with myself right now."

"I know something else you're really good at" Edward alluded.

"Ohh, really? And what is that?"

He took hold of me and pulled me into a deep kiss our lips moving together as he softly stroked my back. I reached up to his head and pulled him even closer to me as I knotted my hands in his messy bronze hair.

"Where have you been all of my life, sweet Bella?" he asked me as he pulled away too soon.

"Waiting for you," I explained as I lost myself in his eyes.

It's incredible, when I stop and think about it, how much my life had changed in such a short time. I felt more alive than I had in my entire life. I'd found my calling and it was to stand by this man and to love him for the rest of our lives. The pieces all fit together and I understood the past heartaches, the trials, and all the pain: it lead me to this place, to Edward. It was always him.

As I continued to gaze at him he spoke, "It's all the same for me you know; Bella you are my life now." He had heard my thoughts.

As the day grew old Edward had me repel back down the cliff and we hiked back to the Jeep he had borrowed from Emmet. He swung through a local pizza joint back in Forks, getting me a large pizza with pineapple and ham. It was nice that he wasn't turned off by my excessive eating habits. It always made me self conscious in the past, but Edward seemed rather amused by it and liked to see exactly how much he could stuff me with.

"I know girls in school who would kill for a metabolism half as effective as yours," he joked as we started down the driveway to his house. "I'm actually suspicious that you might just have a hollow leg you hide it all in." He reached over with his right hand and gently shook my left leg and then knocked on it softly. He didn't draw away though, he just left his hand there until we pulled into the garage.

I went upstairs to clean up before eating, figuring my pizza was safe in a house full of vampires. After a quick shower I put on a comfy shirt and a pair of yoga pants and slippers and ran back down stairs for the kitchen. The Cullens were in the living room just hanging out it looked like. I saw Carlisle with a book, Esme was tiding up, Alice and Jasper were playing on a laptop. Emmet and Rosalie were making out quite vigorously, they apparently had no shame.

Edward pulled the pizza out of the oven and grabbed a plate from the cupboard. It didn't take me long to dispose of the entire thing. We made our way back into the living room and were just flipping through channels lounging on the loveseat when my cell phone went off. I excused myself and went back in the kitchen to fetch it out of my purse, seeing it was my sister.

"Hi Ang, what's up?" I was always happy to hear from her.

"Guess what happened today Bella?" she asked enthusiastically.

"You got the part for the school play?" she had auditioned last week.

"No! Bigger than that!" she exclaimed.

"Did Eric finally kiss you?" I asked, Eric was a boy I knew she had a crush on.

"Nope! Try again!"

"I give up, what happened today, Angela?"

"I shifted, I'm a mermaid now! Guess what color I am."

It was a mix of emotions that hit me all at once. I was happy and scared for her all at the same time. I was confident Carlisle was going to find a cure and that my sister at least had more time than I did but it still hit me hard. I quickly resolved to let her be happy, she knew the implications: that now her future was as uncertain as mine. This was a time of celebration for our family.

"Congratulations Angela! I don't know, are you blue like me?"

"No, I'm purple. Ohhh I can't wait to show you Bella. It's a deep royal purple and gold!"

"Gold? Really? Angela, I can't wait to see," gold was a rare accent color, black being the most common, few were silver, then only about one in fifty ever flaunted a gold accent. We hadn't had a gold accented mermaid since my mother.

"Yep, Gold! Mom and Dad have decided to make my birthday also my first shift party. They're going all out now- we're even going to the beach!"

"That will be cold," I pointed out, "but you know I'll be there."

"It won't be cold once we shift. You know, you should bring that vampire you were talking about, what was his name, Edward?"

"This party is about you Angela, I don't want to take attention away from that."

"Of course it's about me," she laughed, "I'm gold after all. Bring him, it will be fun."

"Alright , I'll think about it"

"I gotta go," Angela said.

"Ok, I love you, see you on Saturday."

"I love you to Bella, see you then."

The line disconnected and I just stayed there in the kitchen for a few moments collecting myself. I put my phone back in my purse and walked back out into the living room and sat beside Edward.

"Everything ok?" he asked me, he couldn't have been in my thoughts.

I just looked at him confused. It was early for Angela to shift already, but we knew she eventually would. I decided I was going to live earlier today, so she was as well simply by default. I was happy for her on some level, being a mermaid was one of the truest joys in my life. But my joy had been replaced by dread a while ago, when the disease first hit.

I noticed the room was silent then and all eyes were on me as Edward reached out with his pinky to wipe a tear from my cheek. I shook my head, "My little sister Angela is now a mermaid to" I said, my own voice sounding distant.

They were all just quiet as they took in what this meant. "She's gold," I almost laughed through the tears, "purple and gold. It's a very rare color, very special." Edward handed me a tissue.

I was losing it and Edward could tell. "Come on, Bella. Let's go up stairs," he suggested. He stood up and I took his hand as he walked me upstairs into his bedroom. It was the first time I had been in his room, but I didn't take any notice of my surroundings, I was somewhere else. He quietly shut the door behind us and I sat down on his couch. He seemed to be lost in thought but sat down beside me after a few moments of silence.

Edward took my hands, held them in his and was just quiet. I bowed my head and closed my eyes and silently started to pray to God. It was all I could do; I was powerless to save my own sister. I prayed for His mercy on my sister and on my family. I prayed for a cure for both of us, for all of us. I pleaded with Him and even bargained my own life for hers.

Then I heard Edward start to speak, "Lord, I come to you pleading on behalf of this child of yours. Long has it been since I spoke to you, yet I always knew you existed. I see you in the forest, in the stars, in the ocean and mostly I see you in Bella. I have no right as the demon I am to ask anything of you, but here I am anyways. I ask you to watch over and bless Bella's family, help my father to find the cure he searches for. Protect Bella's sister Angela and protect Bella. I don't know what I could ever give you in return, but I would pay any price for her."

The tears were rolling down my face as Edward concluded the prayer. He reached over and hugged me and told me it was going to be okay, that we were going to make it. "Hope remains, dear Bella, do not let your heart be troubled, have faith. I do." he told me. Edward was right, we were going to win this, even if I didn't know how.

A vampire encouraging me to have faith, God had a good sense of humor.

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**Author's Notes: Wow, almost 100 reviews on this little story. I am so flattered and thankful for all your encouragement! Hope you're enjoying, as always please share your thoughts....**


	19. Playing Dress Up

Playing Dress Up

It was a new day, and things were looking up. The sun was out again and intruding into my room as I laid there in bed well past ten. I realized that last night was a low point, but it retrospect it wasn't unexpected. I'd got it out of my system, life would go on and I refused to be afraid or even sad.

I put myself together and headed down stairs to the kitchen. Alice met me at the stair case, "Good morning Bella!" I was never a morning person but Alice brought new meaning to being overly perky.

"Hi Alice," I responded, my voice a little scratchy in the morning.

"The boys went hunting this morning and won't be back until the afternoon. I thought we could do a girl's day?"

I looked at her suspiciously, I knew her type.

"Come on Bella, it will be fun. I'll do your nails and hair and makeup," she rattled on.

"I don't know Alice, I'm not really good at all that stuff."

"All you have to do is sit there Bella," she pointed out with a smirk. "Besides, you'll want to be pretty for tonight."

Exactly, I'm not good at sitting still. "What are we doing tonight?" I asked curiously.

"Carlisle spoke to your father this morning, sounds like he is taking your family out to dinner tonight."

"What! Really? When did this happen?"

"Early this morning. It was your father's idea, he wanted to meet Carlisle. Carlisle offered the yacht. We have a crew preparing it for this evening now."

"You have a yacht?" I asked surprised.

"Of course we have a yacht, Bella we are near the water," Alice answered as if it was extremely obvious.

"I suppose that sounds like my father, he's very diplomatic and all." It made me a little anxious thinking about it, Edward and I were closer than I had lead my family to believe. At the same time I loved spending time with the Cullens and I loved my family, so naturally they would all get along and we would have fun.

"Help yourself to anything in the kitchen while you're here of course, it's all yours," Alice stepped out of my way. "I'll meet you upstairs when you're ready," she smiled and floated up the stairs.

I made my way into the kitchen and opened the large, stainless steel fridge. All the basics were in there: milk, juice, eggs, soda, cheese, various meats, fruits and vegetables. I decided to go for cereal, I'd had some pretty good breakfasts these past few days, something simple would be nice. I grabbed the milk and put it out on the counter and started going through cabinets looking for a bowl. The first cabinet I opened looked like a medicine cabinet, all over the counter type stuff. They really kept up appearances well. The cabinet next to it had bowls, but they looked like fine china. Third one was a charm and I found a fairly modest looking array of dishes, well modest by this house's standards.

In the pantry I found cereal and grabbed bread to pop in the toaster. I went back to the fridge and cut up some strawberries for my cereal. I could be quite the chef when I put my mind to it, but this meal was no example of my talent.

Once I finished eating, I made my way back up stairs. Alice pulled me into her room as I walked by and in there she held me prisoner for the rest of the day. She painted and pulled and brushed and abused me all day, only breaking for brief food and bathroom intermissions. She really was sweet, we girl talked and bonded you could say. She was right; we were going to be great friends.

As the afternoon grew dark she left the room for a few moments and came back with that blue strapless cocktail dress- the mermaid fit one. I shook my head at her, "Alice, I don't know, that dress is not going to fit me right."

"Bella, I am an expert at this, it is what I do. Would you just try it on for me?"

"Alright, but don't get your hopes up," I complied. As Alice left the room I stripped and pulled on the dress, trying to work the zipper up the back.

Alice walked back in and took hold of it sealing me in the dress. "Ohh, Bella, it's lovely," she turned me around and walked me towards a full length mirror.

I didn't really recognize the girl staring back at me in the mirror. Maybe because she definitely wasn't a girl, she was a lady. I was stunning, from my hair down to my toes. I smiled in awe as Alice pranced back over with a pair of silver heels with ribbons that wrapped around the ankle. "Alice, I still don't know about those shoes," I remarked.

"Alright, I'll leave them here. Put them on when you're ready," Alice suggested. There was a soft knock at the door and Alice walked over to open it as I just stayed in front of that mirror. I saw Edward walk up behind me as he put a hand on my bare shoulder sending chills down my spine.

I spun around quickly towards him, "Edward, I missed you." He was wearing a black suit that put Armani himself to shame. He was stunning, if I hadn't been dazzled by him before, I was surely at his mercy now.

"You look amazing Bella," he complimented as he reached towards my face and ran the back of his index finger down my jaw line. I was speechless staring at him, there was no way I looked worthy of standing anywhere near him like this.

"You're right, something is missing," Edward said. He got down to the floor and picked up my foot reaching for the dreaded silver shoe and slipped it on tying the ribbon around my ankle securely. I balanced myself holding onto his shoulder as he slipped on the other shoe. I shook my head in disbelief as I watched him tie the second shoe into place. This was something out of a fairy tale; I was Cinderella and Edward was my Prince Charming. It all seemed unreal.

He stood up and took my arm beside me as I continued to gaze into the mirror at us. "There, now we're perfect," he declared, "are you ready to go?"

I nodded my head in response as Edward led me out of the room. I stopped briefly at the top of the stairs and saw Carlisle below in a similar suit to Edward's. "You do realize this is a recipe for disaster: me, heels and stairs?" I pointed out.

"I'm not going to let you fall," he squeezed my arm, "besides Carlisle is an excellent fielder when we play baseball, he'll catch you even if I miss." Edward pretended to wind up and throw an imaginary baseball as Carlisle made motion to pretend catching it. I laughed at the gesture and started down the stairs. I saw Esme flutter beside Carlisle and take his arm. The love and devotion between them was obvious and heart warming to see.

We walked out the front door to Carlisle's familiar Mercedes that was idling with the heat on. Since I knew they didn't care about the temperature, I was taken by how considerate they were for me. Edward and Carlisle opened the passenger doors for Esme and me as we climbed in. Edward sat beside me in the back seat and took my hand as soon as he had buckled in.

On the way to the port, I immediately noticed the difference in how Carlisle drove compared to Edward. He was obedient to every speed limit and stop sign. Edward talked about the yacht: its make, model and something about knots. I just nodded and smiled, my dad would be impressed, but I knew little about boats.

When we pulled into the harbor Edward pointed it out to me. It was an elegant looking yacht, two stories, with twinkling lights on the deck. Once the car parked, Edward and Carlisle got out and opened doors for Esme and I again. Carlisle and Esme led the way as we walked down the port and up the ramp. They greeted the eager staff as we walked up to the second deck. The night was clear and crisp, the moon full reflecting off the ocean. The second floor was set up like a large dinning room with a table set for seven. It was all enclosed and comfortably warm on this spacious deck. There was even a piano in the corner that caught my eye.

"Do you play?" Edward asked me.

"Piano? No, but I would love to learn."

Edward pulled me over towards the piano and sat me on the bench beside him. "I would love to teach you," he offered as he started playing. I recognized the melody as Claire De Lune as I watched mesmerized by the graceful movements of his hands.

After a few minutes Edward looked up from the piano but continued to play, "Your parents are here," he told me as I followed his gaze. I watched as my dad escorted my mother into the room. Charlie was wearing a nice suit and tie while Renee' had on a black dress. Edward stopped playing and stood up from the bench holding his hand out for me. I took it and we walked along with Carlisle and Esme to greet them.

"Mom, Dad," I started introducing, "This is Carlisle, Esme and Edward. Edward, Esme and Carlisle, these are my parents, Renee' and Charlie."

"It's an honor to meet you in person, Dr. Cullen," my dad stepped forward and shook Carlisle's hand.

"The honor is mine, Mr. Swan," Carlisle greeted in return. Charlie and Carlisle walked around the deck already in deep conversation.

"Your sister is downstairs using the restroom and will be up in a few minutes," my mother said to me as she reached out for a hug from me. Esme greeted my mother and they started talking as well just leaving Edward and me. Edward walked back over to the piano and started playing softly again.

I walked up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder, "I'm going to go check on my sister, and I'll be back in a moment. Where is the restroom?"

"It's down stairs, first door to your left," Edward directed, "hurry back, I want to meet her." He winked at me as I left.

I made it down the stairs all on my own and knocked on the bathroom door, "Angela? You okay in there?"

"Yeah," I heard her yell back, "I can't get the dress zipped back up."

"Unlock the door and I'll help you," I offered.

Angela opened the door as she held the dress up and turned around. I zipped it up for her, noticing how similar it was to mine, only purple and gold.

"Did Alice?" I asked in confusion.

"Alice! Is she here? She sent me this dress and called me today telling me I have to wear it tonight, Bella isn't it lovely?"

"That sounds like Alice, you look gorgeous. Come on lets go upstairs so you can meet the vampires."

She was a little too excited about that as she smiled exuberantly. We made our way back up the stairs and entered the dining room laughing and chatting. Then several things happened at once.

Everyone was at the far end of the room talking. We froze a few steps into the room and came to a dead stop. Edward, Carlisle and Esme all whipped their heads towards us and had looks like I had never seen on their faces. They were all ravenous.

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**Author's Note: Yeah, I know it's a cliff hanger. I didn't mean for it to be, but there it is. There's good reason for the Cullens to react that way, I promise. I've thought this out- I have a plan! While I continue to work on my devious little plan, I'd like to hear your thoughts, theories, likes, dislikes, or random comments. Thanks!**


	20. Keeping Secrets

Keeping Secrets

Then several things happened at once.

Everyone was at the far end of the room talking. We froze a few steps into the room and came to a dead stop. Edward, Carlisle and Esme all whipped their heads towards us and had looks like I had never seen on their faces. They were all ravenous.

I quickly pulled Angela behind me, "What's going on Bella?" she protested.

"Run Angela!" my mom screamed as realization hit her.

Angela took two steps back that each vampire mirrored towards us. "Angela freeze! Nobody move!" I yelled and she stopped, "Don't give them reason to chase."

"Run!" my mom exclaimed again but Angela stood her ground.

"Renee' they can't hurt her," I heard my dad mumble as I eyed him.

It was Carlisle that snapped out of it first and shook his head backing away as he pulled Edward and Esme along with him. They both seemed fine after a moment as well.

"Angela stay here for a moment," I said as I started to walk away from her.

"Did that really just happen, I thought that was an old wives tale?" she asked me.

"That just happened, I had no idea there was any truth to it. Stay here, ok?"

My dad was holding onto my mom who was visibly shaking. I walked over to the Cullens who had moved away from everyone. "Bella," my dad called out as he saw where I was walking.

"It's fine dad, they're not going to hurt me," I said with confidence. "You guys okay?" I asked as I got close.

"I am so sorry Bella," Carlisle began. "She just surprised us is all. We're okay now, but I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to leave."

"I didn't know, in our legends, vampires are supposed to be more attracted to us as mermaids, our scent more, well, appetizing. With a gold mermaid, they say it is doubly so." They were all obviously relaxed now and I believed that we had just caught them off guard. Not one of them had made any aggressive move anyways. My mom and dad walked back over hearing our conversation. Angela still stood in the corner looking impatient now.

"We should have warned you," my dad started apologizing to Carlisle.

"I can assure you we are quite controlled, she just caught us off guard is all. She is in no danger from us," Carlisle spoke with confidence. "Please do not apologize, let us just put it behind us. I'll go see if dinner is ready." I watched as Carlisle walked right towards Angela and the stairs. He stopped in front of Angela and reached out a hand that she took smiling. "Very nice to meet you Angela, I apologize for our rudeness."

Angela smiled in return, "I like to make an entrance," she joked.

Carlisle headed down the stairs as Angela made her way over to us. I introduced her to the rest of the Cullens with out incident. As we made our way over to the table, Edward pulled out chairs for both me and Angela and took his seat beside me. Carlisle reentered the room and took the open seat between Angela and Esme.

The dinner progressed on smoothly. The fare included steaks, twice baked potatoes, salads and cheesecake for dessert. My family really hit it off with the Cullens, not that it was at all unexpected. Carlisle, Edward and my father talked about boats and cars, while Esme and my mom chatted about decorating and the most recent episodes of Grey's Anatomy. Carlisle rolled his eyes when he caught wind of that discussion.

Edward eventually made his way over to the piano and played for us. I took a seat beside him watching him in awe. I could see my father still talking to Carlisle from the corner as they watched us. Angela made her way over and sat on the other side of Edward. He was just as gracious and kind to her as he was to me. My father would have approved, he always taught me that the true measure of a man's chivalry is not how he treats the one he loves, but how he treats all women.

"So are you coming to my birthday party with Bella?" Angela asked Edward.

"Happy Birthday Angela, when is your party?" Edward responded.

"This Saturday at the beach near Sequim."

Edward looked over to me and I nodded my head, "You should come, it will be fun," I encouraged.

"Alright, as long as the sun stays away, I'll come along," Edward agreed. Angela made an excited squeak.

"So is it the same with Angela?" I asked Edward, "Can you read her?"

"She's much the same as you and your mother. Scattered bits here and there; actually I think I'm getting better at reading you, Bella, simply because of proximity," Edward paused and looked at Angela, "Red."

Angela started laughing, "You really can hear thoughts?"

"Indeed, actually would you do me a favor Angela, while I am in your head for the moment?"

"Sure," Angela obliged.

"Think of what you look like when you shift into your mermaid form, Bella tells me your coloring is unique." Edward continued to lightly play the piano and he kindly looked at my sister.

"It is, I'm gold, very rare," Angela went quiet and I leaned around to watch Edward's reaction. Edward's smile increased as he closed his eyes. I was a little jealous that he got to see before I did.

"You should be jealous," he murmured, "She has a much better self image than you do." I playfully nudged Edward in the side for that remark; apparently he was in both of our heads.

"You two are both beautiful creatures, thank you for letting me see," Edward opened his eyes and nodded towards Angela. Around that time our parents walked over to the piano. Edward nodded to Carlisle in greeting and smiled at the rest. "I just got a glimpse of Angela here in her mermaid form," he said to Carlisle. Just as amazing as Bella, similar pattern only rich shade of purple and gold instead of the blue and silver."

"You'll have to come out to the beach one day so they can actually show you instead of just seeing it through their memories," my father suggested to Edward.

"A very gracious invitation, thank you. Actually, Angela has invited me to come to her birthday celebration this weekend."

"Excellent," my father approved.

"When Bella shifted for us, it was truly amazing, like nothing I have seen," Edward complimented.

My dad looked at me curiously, "You went to the beach?"

"No," I replied, "the Cullens have a salt water pool," I explained. My family looked at me quite shocked. "I had some help from Jasper, it wasn't so bad," I shrugged.

"Well that's wonderful, dear!" my mom said as she planted a kiss on my forehead. "It really has been a wonderful blessing that you have been brought into our lives," my mother continued as see looked each of the Cullens in the eye. "Let us know if there is anything we can do to help or in return. We do of course have funds available for your use."

"That is not necessary, your money is no good to me," Carlisle held his hand up to stop my mother.

"Don't be ridiculous," my father retorted to Carlisle, "I've done my research, you are the best doctor in the world, though you hide your accomplishments well. I know these things: treatments, tests and such do not come for free."

"You're right they don't, but money is not an issue," Carlisle interjected, "you see, I've been around for hundreds of years, things like money and possessions fail to mean much to me anymore. I find value in my work, in helping others; it makes me happy. Besides, your daughter has brought joy into our home. It is a delight to have her under our roof, as I'm sure Edward would agree."

"We are very grateful, I am very grateful," I said to them.

"We all are," my mom replied, "Well, this has been a lovely evening and thank you for your hospitality. We probably should get going though, Angela does have school tomorrow."

"Mom," Angela whined.

"It probably is time we head out," my dad agreed.

I said goodbye to my family as we all walked off the yacht. "I'll see you on Saturday," I said to my sister as I hugged her goodbye.

"See you then, take care," she said in response, I caught her hidden worry.

My dad pulled me aside before he left for the car to speak to me privately, "Bella, it's great that the Cullens have agreed to help and been so kind to you. You've told them much, but I can tell you have kept our most valuable secret safe. The time may come when you think it is right to reveal it. I want you to know that you have my support in whatever you decide to tell or not tell them. You know them better than any of us and I trust your judgment."

I was a bit surprised by his direction, "I haven't decided weather or not to tell them, but I suspect it's going to come up. I'll keep you informed, thank you for your understanding. I love you dad."

"I love you to sweetie, see you soon."

Edward was holding my hand in the back seat of the car as we drove away from the dock. I wasn't at all tired, but it was nice just to relax around him and his family. The drive didn't take long and I saw the lights of the Cullen house approaching.

We went inside and I ran upstairs to change into something a bit more comfortable. As I came back down the stairs I saw Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmet and Edward in the living room. Rosalie and Emmet left as I entered, Emmet gave me a big smile, but Rosalie still just ignored me.

"Jasper took Alice hunting, they'll be back tomorrow," Edward answered the question in my head. I went over to sit by Edward and he put an arm around my shoulder. "Your family is wonderful," he commented.

"Yours is to," I pointed out, "I do wish you would let us do something in return for all you are doing for us; for me."

"All I want is to spend time with you," Edward said, "Carlisle, you want anything from her?" Edward asked nonchalantly.

"I find it quite refreshing to see Edward so happy actually, but I enjoy your company to."

"No, really though, there must be something," I pleaded.

Edward gave my shoulder a squeeze and I arched my neck in response. He responded by rotating on the couch towards me as he pulled me into a similar position in front of him. His hands started working on my shoulders massaging away and I moaned response. "That's not fighting fair," I protested as he continued to work into my shoulders.

Carlisle laughed, "He's got your buttons figured out Bella." It was true as I relaxed further into Edwards hands. He continued to knead his thumbs into my back, it felt wonderful.

I yelped a little as Edward hit a knot near my shoulder blade, but he just kept rubbing at it as I leaned away from him. His other hand moved to my shoulder to stop me, "hold still, I've almost got it." I bit my lower lip and closed my eyes knowing it would feel better once it was gone.

It started to fade quickly and I could feel the tension leaving my back. I was also fading and falling asleep. Edward's motions continued to slow down as he pulled me back towards him and laid back on the couch with me. I felt him pull a blanket over me, but still didn't bother to open my eyes.

"You do really well with her, Edward, she trusts you," I heard Carlisle say quietly.

"I think she does, granted she still has a few secrets, but I don't get the feeling that she is keeping them from me because she doesn't trust me. I would do anything for her Carlisle." I was somewhere between reality and dream, I could hear their words but not really process them.

"I know you would son, we are doing everything we can, have you talked to Alice?" Carlisle responded.

"Things are uncertain, she doesn't see Bella dying over the next couple days, but she can't get a good look at much of anything. She didn't see Angela, and how attracted we would be to her," Edward said.

"I have never experienced a singer before, but I would guess it would be like smelling Angela. I could not imagine any normal vampires being able to cross her path with out hunting her," Carlisle pointed out.

"Bella smells wonderful to me, but you're right Angela is even more appealing. I wonder why that is?" Edward mused.

"Bella said it has something to do with her being a gold mermaid," Esme stated.

"It does, but Bella's holding back information again. There is more to that. There is a reason why," Edward decided.

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**Author's Note: My secret is I love getting reviews. I even check from my iPhone to see if any new ones come in. So please click that review button and share your thoughts, or theories. Thanks!**


	21. Highs and Lows

**Author's Note: Remember the first time you read Breaking Dawn (I'm betting here you've read it more than once;), remember how confused and maybe even a little mad you were when Alice just left out of the blue? It's similar to Bella's secret in this story, I know it doesn't make sense right now, but you've come a long way with me here, trust me it will make sense. **

**To answer another question, no, Bella is not Edward's singer in this story. Don't get me wrong he finds her very appealing (in more ways than one), but it wouldn't work with the continuity of this story. The first time Edward smells Bella, her head is cracked open and she's bleeding all over the place in chapter 1. Let's face it, if she was his singer the story would have ended right there, and that wouldn't have been any fun.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. **

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Highs and Lows

They say time flies when you're having fun. Well, it's entirely true. It was Thursday morning and I was utterly exhausted. We had settled into a pattern: Edward and his siblings went to school during the day while Esme and Carlisle stayed home with me. At night Carlisle went to work and I was left to the whims of the younger Cullens. We'd been hiking, shopping, to Canada and even to Seattle last night.

I pulled myself out of bed and into the shower. While we were in Seattle late last night, Alice had told me Carlisle would need me by eight this morning for tests. It was going to be a long day. After I was clean I made my way down stairs, following my nose. I could see Esme making me scrambled eggs and toast as I entered the kitchen.

"You poor thing, you look exhausted," she exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm a little tired, but I'll be okay. I'm hoping Carlisle won't need me for long so I can go back to bed while Edward is away at school," I said as I started to dig into my food.

Carlisle walked in the front door just as I was finishing eating. "You look a little tired," he commented, "how late did they keep you out last night?"

"We got back around six," I answered truthfully.

Carlisle looked disappointed in me, it reminded me of my own father. "I'll have to talk to Edward," he said.

"No, no, it's not his fault. I agreed to it, figured I could sleep while he was at school. I'm really ok, not that tired. I can do whatever you need and rest later."

Carlisle still didn't look satisfied, but he directed, "Alright, take your time and finish eating. I'll meet you upstairs in the spare bedroom when you're ready."

I nodded in agreement and watched as he walked back towards the staircase and grabbed a rather large suitcase before climbing up out of my view. Joy- a suitcase, I rolled my eyes internally.

I polished off the five eggs and thanked Esme for the lovely breakfast. Then I lugged myself up the stairs and into the spare bedroom. Carlisle wasn't in there, but there was a hospital type gown folded at the foot of the bed. I took the hint and quickly stripped and put it on. I didn't hesitate to climb into the freaky hospital bed and pull all the covers up around me. Carlisle came in shortly thereafter and I sat up to see him.

"It's okay, you don't have to get up," he assured. I responded by letting myself thud back against the pillow. I heard Carlisle laugh a little under his breath as he pulled out and hung an IV bag. I groaned a little internally at the sight of it. Carlisle pulled up my left arm in the air and reached down with his other hand to pull all the blankets back up around me, just leaving that arm exposed.

"Well based on my research," Carlisle took a seat beside me and started to explain, "I've developed several trial treatments. I honestly don't know which, if any will work. They all have to be administered when the sickness starts; I have no way to safely test them until then. What I'm doing today is trying to slow down the Swan Sickness," he paused. "That's what I've coined it as: the Swan Sickness. Anyways, I need more than ninety minutes from when it starts to," he stopped again. "To be able to try as many possible remedies as I can," he continued. "So I'm going to see if I can force a shift to buy us more time essentially."

"If you're trying to force a shift, shouldn't I be in the water," I asked the obvious question.

"It shouldn't necessary. I'm giving you very minimal doses, the affect, if any should be mild. We could go down stairs if it would make you more comfortable, but I figured you would rather rest here. If there are any difficulties, I'll get you into the water fast, but I'm not anticipating anything," he assured.

I just nodded and watched lazily as he took out a needle and tube. I decided that would be a good time to close my eyes. "You can just rest dear, it won't offend me if you want to sleep. Like I said, it's all pretty mild, I doubt any of it will bother you at all."

I could feel him clean the inside area of my elbow and smell the burn of the alcohol. Thankfully I was out before I felt any prick. I'd have to remember to thank Carlisle for that.

I slept like a rock for what felt like a long time. It was one of those sleeps where I didn't really dream, I was just out cold. After a while I started to wake up and felt disoriented, I opened my eyes and Carlisle was in my view. He moved the hair out of my face, "How do you feel Bella?" he asked me.

I took a deep breath, "I'm fine." I brought my hand up to my face to wipe my eyes and then held my hand back in shock in front of my face. A thousand things raced through my mind at once. I wasn't ready, why was I not in pain, why was Carlisle just looking at me?

I didn't have time to voice any of these, "Bella?" Carlisle inquired.

"I'm okay," I almost asked. I felt fine, but sure enough my fingers were webbed and my skin held some shimmer.

"Yes, you're fine dear," Carlisle smiled at me.

"Huh, cool," I wiggled my fingers in front of my face. Carlisle laughed at my amusement.

"I'm all done, we're just waiting for it to wear off and I'll unhook you," he assured. I looked at the clock and saw that I still had two hours until Edward would be home.

"Mind if I just go back to sleep?" I asked.

"Not at all, please do," Carlisle encouraged.

* * *

The first thing I recognized in my half awake state was his scent. When I first met Edward he smelled sickly sweet. Over time though, I've grown accustomed to it. It was never a repulsive smell- it was just a smell that set off instinctual alarms. Now I associated that smell with Edward and it set off other reactions.

I felt his soft lips meet mine and wake me in the most wonderful way possible. I kissed him back and fluttered open my eyes to see his handsome face. Like I said before, Edward was the stuff fairytales were made of, things like glass slippers and sleeping princesses where the norm around him. He may think himself a monster, but he didn't have me fooled.

"Wake up my sleeping beauty," he mused as he pulled away.

I smiled back at him, "but I wasn't done kissing you," I complained. Edward climbed up on the bed and held himself above me as he brought his lips back down to mine. I wrapped my arms around him and drew him even closer to me. Edward gave in and slowly laid his body on top of mine as our kiss deepened.

After a few moments he rolled off of me laughing, "Bella you really like to push fate," he joked.

"You don't give yourself enough credit, I'm not afraid of you."

"You really shouldn't have said that," Edward pounced on me and started tickling me furiously. I screamed and laughed and cried all at once until he finally stopped.

Once I caught my breath I rolled out of the bed away from his reach and put my hands on my hips looking at in a playful yet angry way. "Uh, love you may want to get dressed," he commented modestly.

I looked down at myself in shock as I still had on the skimpy hospital robe. I could feel my face turn bright red. "You're lovely when you blush," Edward said as he stood up and walked to me planting a kiss on my forehead. "I'll start dinner and see you down stairs in a few." I smiled at him in response as he left the room.

I pulled on my clothes and went back to my room to freshen up before heading back down stairs. I saw my cell phone in my room and checked it for any missed calls. Sure enough, my parents' number was on there, I hit the call back button and my mom answered after two rings.

"Hi Bella, how are you?"

"I'm fine, having allot of fun. Carlisle is working hard and seems to be making progress."

"Bella there's something I need to tell you," my mom's tenor changed.

"What?"

"It's Lauren, sweetie, she didn't make it, she's gone."

I was silent as I processed the information. Lauren was only sixteen, younger than me. We weren't particularly close; she was more of an acquaintance than a friend. It was still saddening, she was just a kid, and there weren't many of us left.

"When is the funereal?" I asked.

"Honey, her parents are just doing a graveside service for the family, you can give your respects when you come back on Saturday." I knew the drill.

"Alright, pass on my sympathies," my voice was monotone.

"I will dear, take care, I love you so much," I could hear her voice cracking.

"Mom, don't do that. I'm going to make it; Angela and I are going to make it. The Cullens were brought into our lives for a reason. I believe this is going to work, I need you to have faith to mom."

"I do honey, I do, I love you, see you on Saturday," my mom squeaked out.

"I love you to," I disconnected the line. I really didn't know what to feel as I walked over to the vanity and stared into the mirror. I felt like I was on a rollercoaster. One minute I was at the highest peak as Edward kissed me in bed, the next I was back staring my own death in the face. I wondered why this happened, how could a good and loving God let little girls die. It wasn't the first time I had asked this question, I knew the answer. I knew that death and disease were a part of life, a part of free will. In the back of my mind I also realized that with out the evil, the darkness and despair that maybe we would never appreciate the wonderful, the light or love that also exists in the world.

It took me a few extra minutes to pull myself back together, but I did and I walked back down those stairs and acted like nothing had happened. There was nothing I could do for Lauren but live my life, I had to live.


	22. Celebration

Celebration

The day of the party had finally come. The weather was cooperating: it was overcast but not miserably cold or wet. Edward and I drove separately since I was going back home tonight. With any luck I could go back to the Cullens on Sunday. Carlisle had sat me down earlier in the day to bring me up to speed where he was and how it was going.

"Honestly, I need more time Bella," Carlisle began, "I've learned much, but I definitely don't have a cure yet. I think the largest set back is I can't pin point the problem. You, like the others, are perfectly healthy until the sickness sets in. I can't find the trigger, there is no pattern to it. I have succeed in developing drugs that can force a shift to either form, that will buy us time from what I can tell, but we're only talking hours. I need you to come back, I'm not done," he almost pleaded.

"Carlisle I fully intend to come back and I'm pretty sure my parents are on the same page. I just need a night or two to regroup with them," he looked relieved. "I need to make sure you know that you can always back out though and there won't be any hard feelings."

"I'm not backing down Bella," he replied sternly.

"Neither am I," I said with intimidation.

As I got out of the car at the beach I grabbed my bag and Angela's gift and made my way over to the tables. My dad was working the BBQ while my mom was setting the tables. The decorations were a little fluffy for my taste, but Angela would get a kick out of the purple and gold balloons. Edward followed a few steps behind me, unsuccessfully trying to blend in.

"Hi mom," I greeted.

"Ohh, hello dear, I've missed you!" she quickly pulled me into a tight hug that I returned. My dad saw us and came over to give me a hug to.

"Ahh, Mr. Cullen, so glad you could join us," my dad said as he reached out to shake Edward's hand.

"Thank you for the invitation, and please call me Edward," he replied with formality. I wasn't having that, it was time my family stopped guessing about Edward and knew where we stood. I reached out and grabbed his hand as he gave me a curious yet happy look. I looked him straight in the eyes and hopped he was okay with officially coming out.

He gave my hand a gentle squeeze and I looked back to my parents surprised, but not upset faces. Once they had a moment to take it in, they both gave me and Edward a smile and laughed as they directed us to go find my sister. I suppose I should have been surprised at their easy reaction, but I wasn't. My parents knew me better than anyone and they knew I didn't mess around with boys who weren't worth my time. In fact my own mother had accused me of having too high of standards at one point. If I approved of Edward, they would to because they trusted me. It was a trust I had worked very hard to earn and had never broken.

Edward and I walked hand in hand towards the water. We put out a beach towel near the others and put our stuff on it. Edward had got Angela a gift to, though he refused to tell me what it was. That made me suspect it was probably too much, not that Angela was the type to complain.

Angela came running at us in a lovely deep purple, long sleeved dress. She almost tackled me as she wrapped her arms around me. I could hear Edward give a slight laugh, it probably was a funny sight since I was a good five inches taller then Angela. Once she allowed me to breathe she moved on to Edward who had let go of my hand to give her a proper hug in return.

"You're just in time, we were just about to go in the water!" she didn't hide any of her excitement. "Do you like the dress?" she fluttered around, "Alice sent it as a birthday gift, Edward tell her I love it!"

"I will, it looks lovely on you Angela," Edward said.

"You're coming in the water to you know," Angela ordered Edward.

"No, I think I'll pass, but thank you for the offer," he said with a very persuasive tone. I laughed a little at his attempt as his dazzle abilities would have no affect on her. Edward looked at me curiously, seemingly surprised at his inability to persuade my sister.

"Nah, ut-uh. This beach is ours, and it's my birthday. Come on, we're going swimming!"

Angela ran off towards her blanket several yards away to get out of the dress. Edward was still watching her with a look like he had just been baffled by some great puzzle. I wrapped my arms around him from behind and whispered in his ear, "she's not going to let you get away with out swimming with us so you might as well join us." He turned around to face me as I reached down for his hand and brought it up between us, "I maybe wrapped around your finger," I pulled up his pinky finger and kissed it, "and be willing to follow you're every whim from rock climbing to spontaneous Seattle trips, but you'll find my sister harder to control."

"You maybe wrapped around my finger, but my entire existence is wrapped around your being," leave it to Edward to one up me and still leave me breathless. He leaned in for the kiss and I eagerly awaited the moment when his lips would meet mine, because it was always the same. It was always magical, it was always passionate, it always reminded me of what life was all about. I let the kiss linger, not wanting Edward to pull away, but knowing he would. Before his lips left mine he exhaled ever so slightly into my mouth. The scent made my heart quicken, and my eyes glaze over. Edward was fully capable of dazzling me, and I'm glad I was able to reassure him that he hadn't lost it.

"Come on love birds," my sister shouted as she ran towards the water. I was suddenly embarrassed that we had kissed like that in public, furthermore in plain sight of the parental units. I looked back to where they were back by the tables and they both pretended not to see, though I knew they had.

I quickly changed into proper shifting clothes and Edward pulled off his jeans and button down top. I couldn't resist the urge to touch the plains of his marble chest, he just smiled at my fascination. "Come on love, lets go swim with the mermaids," he played.

We walked down to the water still hand in hand as we wadded in towards the others. It was cold, but once I shifted I would be fine and Edward wasn't affected by the temperature so we were good. I easily shifted once we had got deep enough and let go of Edward's hand to submerge myself. I tilted my head towards the others hoping he'd follow me.

Edward and I swam up to the other thirty or so mermaids in the water. There were a few who couldn't make it today, but this was most of us. Which in itself was saddening, normally our numbers were closer to sixty. The oldest was my second cousin, Jami, who would turn forty this year. She looked only twenty- she would start aging once she stopped shifting, which was going to be soon as she was ready to start a family. The youngest was Angela now thirteen. Looking at us we would all appear to be roughly around the same age, give or take six years here and there, but I could see the generation gap. There were the twenty or so mermaids that were over twenty-five and then the ten of us seventeen or younger. I was at that seventeen mark.

But like I'd said before, I was going to survive. I smiled as we all and greeted each other in our traditional way;

_May the waves always push you home, _

_May you swim on and never tire._

_May you find peace in the sea you roam,_

_May the tides bring you your hearts desire. _

We all recited in our minds the Poem of the Sea in unison to one another.

Then the fun started. We swam and played, jumping in and out of the waves putting dolphins to shame. We raced each other and danced through the tides. I finally got my hands on Angela and took a good look at her. She was amazing, gold was the perfect color against her pale skin and purple scales.

_Angela, you're beautiful! I'm so happy for you!_

_I'm so happy we can finally do this together, _she thought in return.

Angela and I swam away from the others deep into the sea, leaving Edward behind. Something told me he didn't mind though, he was just sitting back and watching all the fun, we'd be back for him anyways. I reached out for Angela's hand and we just let loose, gaining so much speed the ocean floor was a blur as we swam along the coast line.

We eventually stopped and just hugged as hard as we could, winding our fins around each other. Angela let go after a few moments with a smile on her face, _so Edward_? She asked.

_I love him._ It was entirely true.

_He loves you to, even I can see that, _she thought back.

_I don't know what I did to deserve him._

_Are you kidding me, Bella? Look at you, you're amazing. Beautiful, smart, full of life, I bet he wonders what he did to deserve you. Just do me a favor, be happy. Love him with all you have, he's worth it, take the chance. _

_Look at you full of life wisdom and advice on love! You really are growing up. It will happen for you to you know, one day._

_Heck yeah it's going to happen for me, I mean seriously look at me Bella- gold! Can you believe it?!_

_You look well in it._

_I have an idea lets go get that boyfriend of yours and show him a good time._

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**Author's notes: As always, a big thank you for the reviews!**


	23. Starfish

**Author's Note: The story marches on, I hope you're enjoying the fluff. Thanks for taking the time to review, I love you like Jane loves pain! LOL!**

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Starfish

Angela and I swam back towards Edward who just taking in the sight of a school of mermaids.

_Let's show him what fast really means, _my sister winked at me.

We both innocently held out one hand to Edward. He looked at us a little curiously and I raised an eyebrow at him giving him a look that said, _are you afraid?_

He firmly gripped both of our hands with a look of confidence. We ducked under the water and swam on either side of Edward at an easy pace. I gave his hand a squeeze to let him know all was well as we picked up pace. I figured Edward wasn't frightened at all by us, but he had always been cautious around me because of my fears and I wanted to pay him the same respect. Angela and I were significantly stronger in our mermaid forms and our hold on him would not be easily broken.

I could see Edward smiling as we continued to gain speed, he was kicking his legs along out of habit but it was Angela and I doing all the work. It only took a few seconds for us to reach our full speed as we rocketed through the ocean with him in tow.

Angela slowed down after a few minutes and I followed suit. Once we came to a complete stop we surfaced.

"That was exhilarating, and that's saying something coming from a vampire," Edward exclaimed. Angela and I smiled at his amusement.

We had swum out quite a ways, several miles from the shore. Angela grabbed my free hand and put the hand of Edward's she was holding in my grasp. She patted us both on the back and swam away thinking to me, _have fun, take your time._

Angela wasn't the most discrete person but I appreciated the opportunity to be alone with Edward in the sea. He didn't waste any time pulling me into a passionate kiss. I held his face to mine as he wrapped his fingers around my waist. As we continued to kiss, I realized this could go on for quite a while as in this form I didn't breathe through my mouth. I laced my fingers up through Edward's messy, damp hair and he inched his fingers around my back.

As it turns out, Edward tended to take my breath away in both forms. I stiffened up as his fingers traced around my gills, I was taking in quite a bit of water. He felt my resistance and moved his hands further up my back. He pulled out of the kiss and said, "You can trust me."

I honestly wish he didn't take my instinctual reactions so personally. It wasn't at all a trust issue, it was a habit issue. I pulled Edward back into a kiss and freed one of my hands from his hair to grab one of his arms. I pulled his hand back down towards my gill and he picked up where we left off.

A little while latter we came to a mutual and unspoken agreement that we should head on in to shore. I swam at Edward's slower pace; it was a joy to swim with him out in the open like this. After a few minutes we reached the shoreline and he went to fetch my clothes I had thrown up on the sand. He tossed them to me and I quickly shimmied into them running up the sand to meet him as he held out a towel to me. We dried off and put on our dry clothes before making our way over to the tables.

There was plenty of food and cake for all the party goers. We socialized and mingled and Edward was polite to everyone, even bratty Jessica. Angela started opening gifts; getting lots of jewelry and clothes. My parents bought her a gold charm bracelet with a cross charm. I gave her my gift that was a seahorse charm. Then Edward gave her his gift. It was some sort of purple crystal heart charm embedded in what I was fairly certain was pure gold. Angela loved it and tanked everyone for her gifts.

As the sun set and the party goers slowly left, Edward and I went for a walk along the beach.

"Thanks for coming today, I hope you had fun," I said.

"I had a great time Bella," Edward wrapped his arm around my waist.

"That was a beautiful charm you gave Angela, was that an amethyst?"

"I saw it and thought of her color, I hope she likes it. I knew you and your family were doing a charm bracelet, I hope it wasn't intrusive of me to buy her a charm for it."

"Not at all, Edward, it was a perfect gift and you're avoiding the question," I prodded.

"You tell me all your secrets and I'll tell you all of mine," he taunted.

"I've told you my secrets, the rest are not mine to tell. As long as that's not a purple diamond, we're good. Because if that is a purple diamond and you just gave a thirteen year old a charm worth over five thousand dollars, then I'm not comfortable with that and neither would Angela or my parents be if they knew."

"Well, then perhaps we just let her enjoy it and not worry about what type of rock it is. It's only a stone Bella, it's not important. Actually, I know it's not your birthday but I saw this and I wanted to get it for you," Edward pulled a little black box out of his jacket pocket.

I looked at him suspiciously and took the black box.

"Geese Bella, I promise it won't bite- no diamonds, I swear!"

I laughed at his taunt and opened the box. It was beautiful and definitely my taste. Angela was all for fancy jewelry and "bling" as she calls it. My taste was much more modest and Edward had captured it in this piece. It was a simple silver starfish pendant on a silver chain. I wanted to be mad at him for buying me something like this out of the blue, but I couldn't help but love the gesture. "Ohh Edward, I love it, but I have nothing to give you in return," I gazed at it with a tear in my eye.

"I know how much you love the stars and the sea so I wanted to give them both to you. It makes me happy to give you things Bella, please don't take away my joy," Edward pleaded.

"Will you help me put it on?" I asked him. Edward got a big smile on his face and quickly took the box from me. He stepped behind me and reached around with the necklace in his hand and moving my hair out of the way. He latched it as the starfish fell just above my breasts. He placed a kiss on the back of my neck and I turned my head around to meet him as I leaned back in his arms. Edward held me there as he kissed me until I couldn't breathe. I laughed as he righted me back on my feet and took his hand. We continued to walk down the beach as the sun slowed faded into the west.

* * *

I drove back to my parent's house listening to a playlist Edward had made for me. Classical piano compositions, several of which I suspected to be his own works. I missed him already.

My parents and sister had beaten me home as Edward and I had lingered on the beach. When I walked in the door I saw my sister, still glowing from all the fun and my folks equally happy sitting around the table talking.

"Bella, come have a seat for a few moments," my father asked.

"Did you have a good time?" I asked Angela as I pulled up a chair.

"Yes! It was the best! Want to see my charm bracelet?" she asked.

"Yeah, let me see it," Angela unclasped the bracelet and handed it to me. She had got several charms from other friends and family in addition to the ones my parents and I got her. My fingers stopped on the purple heart charm that Edward got her and I eyed it suspiciously.

"That was very nice of Edward," my mom commented.

I raised an eyebrow at that and debated sharing my suspicions about the stone with them but decided instead to honor Edward's request. "It was nice of him," I handed the bracelet back to Angela who out it back on.

"The Cullens have been very gracious all around. That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about, Bella," my dad started. "How are things going?"

"Good! Carlisle thinks he is making progress, but he is asking for more time. Did he tell you he developed drugs that can force a shift to either form?" I knew my dad had been in regular contact with the doctor.

"He mentioned it, it sounds impressive. But he was adamant that it was not a cure," my father replied.

"No, he says it's not. But I really think this is going to work, I'd like to go back as soon as possible."

"You really want to go back and continue to be the doctor's genii pig? You hate doctors, we can send someone else," my father retorted.

"You could send someone else, but I bet there aren't very many willing to move in with a coven of seven vampires. Dad, I've gotten close to them and I trust them," I said.

"I'd move in with the vampires!" my sister interjected.

I gave her an evil eye, "Angela you can't be out of school like that and you know it, your grades aren't high enough" I pointed out. Angela was very smart and it always upset me that she just seemed disinterested in her school work.

She pouted as my father replied, "Does your wanting to stay have anything to do with Edward?"

I thought about it for a moment and decided to go with the truth, "Yes, but I fail to see how that is significant."

"It's not, I suppose," my father admitted. "Edward seems like a good man," he paused, "vampire," he corrected himself with a grin. "I suppose in the long run it doesn't matter that he's a vampire anyways. I'm happy for you Bella, did he give you that necklace?"

I reached for the starfish and pulled it out, "Yeah, he did," I gazed at it's beauty.

My dad looked at my mom as she nodded to him, "Alright, go back. I'm assuming you'll want to leave tomorrow?"

"I miss you guys," I felt a little guilty, but I did want to get back there as soon as possible. "This is important work. You're right that I like spending time with Edward and his family, but this isn't about him. This is about me, and Angela; this is about all the girls in our tribe."

I went to bed shortly after that and spent the night waiting for sunlight.

* * *

**Author's note: Hmmmm, are you surprised Bella's parents are taking her relationship with Edward so easily? Yeah, there's a reason for that to. But what are your theories, I'm curious if I'm leading you in the right direction here, so let me know! **


	24. Dust

**Author's Notes: I am so glad we finally got here, this chapter was allot of work! Things are about to be set in motion, secrets revealed, questions answered- well not all of your questions, but the pieces are coming together. Now, on with the show!**

* * *

Dust

The new day came and I was out the door headed towards my truck just after breakfast. But there in front of my truck was Angela, waiting with a rather large suitcase.

"Ange, what's going on?" I asked her.

"I'm coming with you!" she squealed.

"What?" not that I didn't love her company, I just didn't see it coming.

"Carlisle called mom this morning and wants to see me, said he wanted someone younger!"

I was certain these were not Dr. Cullen's exact words, but I wasn't surprised he would want to see her. "You know it's not all fun and games with the vampires right? There's poking and prodding and tests…"

"Please, I'm not scared," Angela interrupted me. "And there's no school on Monday so mom said I was invited to spend tonight! A night in the vampire house, the others will never believe me!"

She was way too excited about all of this- I was going to have to figure out a way to wear her out. "Alright get in already," I told her with a smirk.

It didn't take me long to get to the Cullen's mansion and the door opened as we came up the steps, "Hello little fishies!" Emmet greeted. "I'm glad you came back, Edward is much more fun when you're around," he explained to me.

"Thanks Emmet," I laughed at him. He was truly intimidating, until you got to know him that is. Angela was still frozen in the door way, finally a sense of logical fear hitting her I hoped.

"Welcome back Bella," Carlisle greeted me as he walked towards the door. He was wearing a button down shirt and tie, looked like he was heading to or from the hospital. He walked right up to me and gave me a hug, it was strange how the Cullens were already feeling almost like family to me.

I hugged him back, "good to be back. Are you headed to work?"

"No I just got home," Carlisle grabbed the small bag I had brought back with me and Angela's rather large suitcase as we walked with him up the stairs. "Good to see you again Angela," he greeted with a polite nod. "Are you girls hungry?"

"We ate on the way over, thanks though," I said. Angela was following close behind just taking in the gigantic Cullen mansion.

"I set up an extra bed in your room Bella, but if Angela would rather have her own room for the night that can be arranged," Carlisle offered.

"I don't mind bunking with Bella, it will just be like old times right Bella? We can chat and gossip all night, play our favorite game?" Angela's favorite game was Truth or Dare and I was sure she would get a kick out of playing that in a house full of vampires. _Great, this is going to be a blast, I don't actually like to sleep anyways,_ I thought sarcastically to myself.

As we approached my room I could see Edward leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed across his chest. He had a smirk on his face as he enquired, "what is this Truth or Dare game?"

"Ohh you want to play?" Angela asked as she went into an in depth explanation of Truth or Dare. I rolled my eyes but Edward listened intently to her.

Carlisle set our stuff in the room by the vanity and said, "I'm ready for you, Angela, as soon as you're settled in, Bella can show you to the exam room." Angela and I both nodded as Carlisle and Edward exited the room.

We took a few minutes to unpack a few items and freshen up after the drive. "Do you know what Carlisle is going to do?" Angela asked me.

"Umm, the basics probably, blood tests, he might take a look at your gills to. Carlisle is very patient though, it won't be bad," I assured her.

"No, I'm not scared, I was just curious," she replied. She was lying of course; she was just as squeamish around doctors as I was. Yet, on some level I think her curiosity about the Cullens overshadowed her fears.

"Come on I'll show you there," I encouraged as I opened the door. We walked briefly down the hallway and into the spare bedroom. "Alright, I'm going to leave you in the hands of the good doctor," I waived at Carlisle as I stepped out of the room.

I wandered down the hall towards Edward's room and saw him inside. I knocked on the door as I slipped in, "the house seems kinda empty, where is everyone?" I asked him.

"Jasper can't be here while Angela is- it's just too much of a risk. Rosalie and Esme took him up to Alaska to visit some old friends," he replied.

"I'm sorry we put you out of your home," I felt guilty.

"Not at all, they'll come back on Tuesday. I was thinking there is a beautiful meadow not too far away maybe we can take your sister there. It would be a fun hike and a good place for a picnic. Alice was already putting the food together so I guess I know your response."

I smiled, "sounds like fun." I sat down on the couch next to Edward and grabbed his hand. He pulled me towards him and started kissing me again- I loved it when he did that.

After a while Edward slowly pulled away, "Carlisle is going to be done in a few moments, let's go down stairs and check on how Alice is doing."

"Alright," I agreed. Edward and I walked down the stairs and headed into the kitchen. There was a large basket on the island and Alice was just folding a red and white checkered picnic blanket.

"Bella," Alice exclaimed, "so good to see you again!"

"You to Alice, what do you have packed for us?" I asked.

"Ohh I made wraps, a salad, some fruit," she ticked off on her fingers. "Angela!" she squealed as my sister walked down the stairs. Angela ran right up to Alice and I flinched as she wrapped her arms around her in an exuberant hug.

"Alice! I'm sooo excited to finally meet you!" my sister squealed back jumping up and down.

"Mmmm, you do smell nice," Alice complimented, thankful she had been warned. "Well, let's get going you two," Alice ordered to Edward and me.

We made our way to Edward's Volvo and he whisked us away. We were only in the car for a few minutes before he parked at the end of a secluded one way street. I could see the trail as we got out of the car. Edward walked around the car to the trunk and took out three large sunflowers and gave one to each of us. "Thank you," I said to him.

"I told you I was going to smother you with flowers, now you have to associate sunflowers with the meadow, though they don't grow there of course, it's the place I like to go when it's sunny," Edward clarified. My sister thanked him in return as well while Alice planted a kiss on his cheek.

"How far are we going?" I asked Edward as I took his hand and we started down the trail.

"Only about two miles," he answered as we lead the way. Alice and Angela were in deep conversation about their favorite "statement necklace" fashions. They were an easy match.

I could see the clearing as we approached it. The sun was barely peeking through the clouds and filtering through the green trees. The grass was tall and randomly littered with lovely blue flowers. Alice took the blanket and basket from Edward and set up for our picnic. After walking around and enjoying the beauty of the meadow we plopped our selves down on the picnic blanket. Angela and I ate to our hearts content.

"I told you she would eat more than Bella," Alice pointed out. I looked at him curiously.

"I didn't think it was possible that anyone could eat more than my Bella," Edward said proudly as I gave him a snide look.

"Phh, I can take Bella any day, bring it on!" Angela challenged.

I took the opportunity to pounce on her. Edward and Alice watched with amusement as I tackled and tickled my sister as I taunted her, "ohh you think you can take me huh?"

"No, no" she was laughing so much she was crying, "stop, please!" I eventually let he go. That was when I realized something was off. Edward and Alice were completely quiet. Alice had that look again, like she was somewhere else and Edward was there with her it looked like.

It seemed like forever before Edward finally snapped out of it. He was on his feet in an instant, "we have to get out of here," he said.

"It's too late, they're too close," Alice replied still seemingly distant.

Edward whipped out his cell, "we're in the meadow and we're about to have unfriendly company." He snapped the phone shut.

"They won't get here in time," Alice said with indifference.

"What's going on!" I finally blurted out as I grabbed a hold of Angela and pulled her close to me. Edward and Alice both looked and Angela and I with worry.

"Nomad vampires, three of them crossed Angela's scent. They'll be here in a few moments, don't worry we'll get you out of this," Edward said with what I figured was a false confidence.

"It will be okay," Alice assured, "Carlisle and Emmet will be here soon, we just need to buy some time."

"I need you two to play along, trust Alice and I, follow our lead," Edward directed.

I nodded my head. Alice was behind me in an instant and had my right arm twisted up in an awkward position forcing me to kneel with her other hand firmly on my shoulder. It was really uncomfortable as I realized she could dislocate my shoulder with the flick of her wrist, but I stayed perfectly still. Edward had grabbed a hold of Angela and had her restrained wither arms behind her back and his mouth close to her neck. I got what they were doing, but with all my might I pushed my thoughts to him and hoped he could hear me. _Edward, do not bite her, do you hear me? Do not bite her, no matter what. _He met my eyes and I knew he had heard me.

Then I saw them.

Three beautiful beings walking gracefully across our lovely meadow. In the lead was a dark skinned vampire that was nearly as tall as Emmet. He was flanked by a smaller yet more vicious looking blonde vampire with his long hair tied back. There was also a red headed female who stayed a little ways back but seemed just as malevolent as the others.

"You seemed to have beaten us to our prey," the dark skinned vampire said with a slight French accent. "I am Laurent and these are my friends James and Victoria," he introduced.

"These are ours and we are not willing to share, move along and we won't hold any grudge," Edward said with the most harsh voice I had ever hears him use.

James stepped forward into a crouch, "there are three of us and only two of you. How's about you hand over the one you have there and you can keep the other one. We can share," he sneered. They wanted Angela of course.

"These are our lands and the rest of our coven is close, I suggest you leave while you still can," Edward yelled back.

Then they attacked. Edward and Alice both threw Angela and I back several yards away from the nomads. We shuffled back to our feet and watched as Edward took on James and Alice evaded the grasp of Laurent. The redhead female eyed us hungrily seeming to contemplate her attack. She pounced at us but Edward intercepted her throwing her back into the woods and chasing after her.

That left Alice out matched against the two large male vampires. They were moving so fast, Alice seemed impossible to catch but there was no way she would be able to defeat them. I watched in awe as the vampires zigged and zagged trying to grab and tear at each other.

I wish I had been paying more attention to Angela, because I might have seen the resolve on her face and been able to stop her before it happened. She ran right at Alice and ended up in the James' hands, he wasted no time snatching her into his grasp and latching onto her neck violently. I screamed in horror as I watched the vampire rip at her neck running towards her. Edward came rushing back into the meadow at that instant.

The blond vampire let Angela go after only a few seconds. She fell to the ground holding on to her bleeding neck as she kneeled in the grass. The vampire that was feeding on Angela stumbled back away from her with a look of horror on his face.

All the vampires froze and watched in shock as his out stretched fingers crumpled to dust, followed by his hands, then arms until he entirely disintegrated away into the wind with a blood curling cry.

The other two vampires seemed to snap out of it and tried to run for it. Edward got a hold of the dark one and with Alice's help he dismembered him.

While they were dealing with him I ran to my sister, "Angela, Angela? Talk to me, are you ok?" I pleaded to her.

She sat back on her heels and then put her legs out in front of her on the grass, "yeah, I think I'm ok. He bit me," she let out a little laugh.

"Geese Ange, never do that again. Do you hear me, he could have ripped your head off," I told her. I wanted to be mad but I couldn't, I was just thankful she seemed alright.

"Nah, he had to feed on me and you know it. I did what I had to," she was still holding on to her neck as I noticed the blood running down her arm and dripping off her elbow into the grass.

Edward walked over and squatted down beside Angela, "Can you move your hand for me Angela so I can take a look?" he asked with composure.

Angela followed his request and Edward took a quick look at her neck. It was awful- it looked like she was missing a huge chunk of flesh. He grabbed hold of several napkins and towels that were nearby from our picnic and held them firmly to Angela's neck.

"That's going to need some stitches, how do you feel" he asked.

"Like I was just bitten, gosh that better not scar, stupid vampire," Angela's eyes fluttered a little, "actually I'm a little light headed," she admitted.

I looked at Edward worried as Alice walked back over. "You lost some blood, but you'll be alright, lucky for you Carlisle has worked as a plastic surgeon, so there won't be any scars. Just relax dear, alright," Edward instructed Angela in a calm voice.

Just then Emmet and Carlisle entered the clearing. I turned to Edward, "did you get all of them?"

"No, the redhead got away," he admitted, "Alice and Emmet will go after her," he assured. I watched as Alice and Emmet disappeared out of view. Edward briefed Carlisle so fast I couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Alright let's get them back to the house," Carlisle decided.

* * *

**Authors Notes: Ok, have I answered some of your questions about the mermaids here? Or does it just feel like an episode of LOST where they answer one question but raise five more? I am working on the next chapter as you read! Please click those beautiful green letters below and share your thoughts!**


	25. Secrets and Poison

Secrets and Poison

I was pacing aimlessly in front of Carlisle's study. My hands clenching nervously to my sides, my mind was racing. I didn't know what I was going to tell them. I had always intended to tell them everything- or had I? Honestly, I knew it would come up and I knew I wouldn't have lied. I wish I had the opportunity to tell them first, before they found out like this.

Alice and Emmet had come back an hour ago after catching Victoria and disposing of her. It was a relief to know that she wasn't a threat anymore.

Angela was safely asleep in the exam room. Carlisle and Edward were waiting patiently behind the doors in front of me. What made it worse is that they didn't seem mad at me. They didn't even ask me, though they had every right.

I turned the knob of the door slowly and padded my feet softly across the hard wooden floors. I couldn't even glance up to meet their eyes out of shame. I pulled up the chair in front Carlisle's desk and sat down.

"Bella, Angela is going to be fine," Carlisle said with a kind voice. "Ten stitches, but the scaring will be minimal. She did loose some blood, but she's resting comfortably."

I looked up to him and met his eyes and gave him the most genuine, "thank you."

I took a deep breath and decided to dive in, "I think I always intended to tell you, to tell you everything. It's just I know there are others out there like Edward and if the vampire community were to find out, we would be hunted to extinction."

"Bella, I know, I understand why you kept this from us," Edward interrupted.

"Let me explain, please," I requested, Carlisle and Edward nodded to me. "It's why she smells so appealing to you, it's what she was made for," I paused thinking of how I could explain this better. "All shifters were created for one reason," I had lost them by the looks on their faces, "think of the wolves, their strength, size, speed; their teeth."

"They were made to hunt and destroy vampires," Edward concluded.

"Yes! We were to, though in a very different way. We're poisonous to you. We're walking, talking arsenic for vampires. That first day when you first saw me Edward, you smelled me and you were drawn to me. That's the way it's supposed to be."

"Not that any of us were ever going to bite you, but it would have been nice to know that you were so deadly to us," Edward said.

"I'm not, that's just Angela. The gold mermaids are the most potent. We had heard legend of what happens when a vampire bites a gold mermaid, but it hasn't happened in generations. As you saw, they cause instant disintegration when a vampire feeds on them. We didn't know for sure that would happen until you met her that night on the yacht and then really we only suspected that it might all be true. You were never in any more danger than I was- you're just not used to playing on the same level."

"Touché" Carlisle commented.

I raised an eyebrow and continued, "most of our population would only cripple a vampire. If one were to feed off a black accented mermaid, it would incapacitate them long enough for us to get away. If we had enough help, we could possibly dismember and burn a vampire in their weakened state. It only takes a pint or so of blood to immobilize the vampire and as you can see we are able to counteract the venom so that has no affect."

"So if a black mermaid would cripple me and a gold mermaid would kill me, what would a silver mermaid do?" Edward asked.

I looked down and brought my fingers to my temples, "somewhere in between, you would be more crippled and very easily killed."

It was honest, it was truth, but it was only half. They accepted my answer and Carlisle began to speak, "it's fascinating and it makes perfect sense. It's good to know that though you both would attract unwanted attention from our kind that you are far from defenseless."

"No, we're not completely defenseless. But it is still fifty/ fifty for a mermaid to survive an attack. Vampires don't always bite right away, sometimes they snap necks first or strangle, or whatever else they come up with. That's why I didn't stand my ground that day in Port Angeles because I'd rather take my chances running. Vampires often travel in covens, I figured Edward wasn't alone. Even if I was able to incapacitate him, there would be another I wouldn't be able to deal with. Of course I hid what I really was, but you knowing that I was a shifter was never really any risk. The risk is now you know that we are a threat to your kind, and if others of your kind find out we exist."

"No one will find out, Bella," Edward assured. "My talent is very rare, you're right, there is one other out there who can read minds like me, but our paths have never crossed. Carlisle knows him, but I'm certain he can be easily avoided."

"Aro can be avoided easily enough, he is just one vampire," Carlisle agreed. Carlisle saying this only brought further resolution to my decision to hold my last secret. We can take the risk that one vampire might one day discover us. We can't take the risk that countless vampires would.

* * *

After some coaxing from Edward, I decided to try to get some rest and go to sleep. Angela was still out, Carlisle assured she would sleep soundly through the night. I still felt guilty for leaving her as I laid in my bed.

Around 2 a.m. I gave up on sleep and decided to go down stairs to get some water. I saw Alice in the hall who just gave me hug, "Hi Bella, what are you doing up so late," she enquired.

"Just having a hard time going to sleep, I was going to get some water," I said to her.

"Alright, well let me know if you need anything," she offered.

"Thanks Alice," I replied and continued down the stairs. I didn't encounter any other Cullens as I made my way into the kitchen. I opened the cabinet doors and saw that I had opened the medicine cabinet again. My eyes fell on a little blue bottle of Tylenol PM. It was tempting to grab it, my family didn't even keep them in the house anymore. Years ago I had some problems with stress and school; I couldn't sleep at night on my own and had turned to PM medications. I was up to four to five pills a night before I finally realized I had a problem and quit cold turkey. It took me several weeks to be able to sleep the night through on my own.

On second though, I wasn't going there. I shut the cabinet door and opened the one a few spaces over and found a glass. I walked back up the stairs with the water and decided to check on Angela.

The spare room door was cracked open and the lights were dimmed. I pulled up the chair I had spent most of the afternoon in and dragged it over to the bed. I lightly took Angela's hand in mine and spoke to her softly, "if you ever do anything like that ever again," I left the threat open as I shook my head. I leaned down and kissed her forehead, "Angela, don't you dare ever scare me like that again."

I tried to make myself comfortable in the little chair, maybe I could get some rest if I was just close to her. There was a soft knock on the door and I invited Carlisle in. "Hi Bella, couldn't get to sleep?" he asked me.

"No, my mind's a bit overwhelmed," I admitted.

"Really, she's going to be fine, there's no reason to worry," he assured.

"I know," I said.

Carlisle walked over to the other side of the bed and picked up Angela's other wrist, checking her pulse. Then he placed the back of his hand across her forehead checking her temperature. I looked at him curiously and he responded, "I'm just making sure she's comfortable. There have been no signs that the venom has had any affect on her but for humans it is torturous having even a small amount in their system. She's in no distress though, seems like her system has burned off all the venom."

"Thank you Carlisle, really," I paused, "for everything."

"It's my pleasure, Bella. Would it help if I carried her into your room so maybe you can sleep to? She's still going to be out for a while and I can sneak in to check on her and not bother you."

"Is it okay to move her?" I asked putting my sister's well being above mine.

"Of course, I wouldn't offer if it wasn't okay," he pointed out.

I felt stupid for even asking, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean," I let out a frustrated breath, "yes, that would be nice."

Carlisle easily picked up Angela, blankets and all and carried her into my room and placed her on the extra bed. I watched as he fussed over the pillows a little making sure she would stay comfortable. Once he finished I walked up to him and gave him a hug, "thank you."

Carlisle bent his head down and kissed me on the forehead much the same way my father and mother did, "sleep tight, Bella."

* * *

**Author's Note: Hopefully the pieces are starting to fit together here for you, please share your thoughts by clicking the review button below! Thanks!**


	26. Lessons

**Author's Note: Ok, so I have good news and bad news. The good news is, this is the longest chapter I have ever written! The bad news is, I'm going on vacation. Well, I think it's good news, but I am not going to be able to write while I am gone. You see, I am headed up to Vancouver, BC on a ski trip. I probably won't be updating for about ten days. So sorry. On the plus side, I'm staying with an old friend in Sequim after our ski trip and we're totally going to Twilight out! (Sequim is about 15 miles from Port Angeles.) We're going to Forks, Port Angeles and La Push (say it with me "La Push baby!"). I will come back thoroughly inspired and able to accurately describe locations. So read on and enjoy this meaty chapter, I was even merciful and didn't leave you with a cliff hanger! Lots of love to you (yes you, the one reading this) thanks for your reviews!**

Lessons

I did finally fall asleep, unfortunately Angela got up around seven. "Urgh," she mumbled disturbing my light sleep, "gosh my head is pounding." She looked disoriented and confused.

"Hey Ange," I got out of bed and walked over to her. "Do you remember what happened?" I asked her.

"Stupid vampire bit me," she mumbled as she threw her covers back.

"Stupid and now dead vampire," I corrected. "Carlisle got you all stitched up and put you on some nice pain killers, that's probably why you have a headache, maybe a little hung over from the drugs. You want me to find you some Tylenol?"

"No, I just want to take a shower," she replied as she got out of bed. She reached for her neck as her fingers ran over the gauze that was still taped to her, "how bad?"

"Ten stitches," I answered, "Carlisle says there shouldn't be much scaring, let me go get him, I don't know if you're supposed to shower with stitches." She nodded to me and I grabbed a bath robe and wrapped it around myself over my jammies before heading out of the room.

I walked down to the study and glanced inside, but it was empty. I wandered around the second floor but still didn't find anyone. Then I heard the faint piano music coming from below and treaded down the stairs. I followed my ears until I found Edward sitting at the piano.

"Good morning love," he greeted as he continued lightly tapping the keys in the most beautiful melody.

"Good morning handsome," I greeted back as I walked over to him I leaned down and met him with a kiss. "Is Carlisle around?"

"No, he left for work about an hour ago after checking on Angela. What's wrong?" he stopped playing and stood up.

"Nothing, Angela wants to take a shower and I didn't know with the stitches?"

"They can probably come out with how fast you two heal, why don't I go take a look?"

"Ok," Edward took my hand and we walked up the stairs together. It was nice to see that he wasn't treating me any differently knowing the new information. Holding Edward's hand was always a contradicting sensation of sorts, his hands were colder than mine but his touch always made me flush and feel a few degrees warmer.

Edward left me to grab some supplies in the exam room and I knocked on my door as I walked back in. Angela was going through her luggage finding her toiletries and a fresh outfit to wear. "Carlisle is gone to work but Edward said he'll take out the stitches for you," Angela looked doubtfully at me. "He has several medical degrees," I explained.

"We matriculate allot," came his sexy voice from the door way.

"Come on in," I invited. Edward switched on the lights and opened up the blinds to let the hazy sun light in.

"Ok Angela why don't you have a seat back on the bed," he instructed. I sat down on my bed across the way and watched. Angela complied and Edward sat down beside her as he set out some tools on the night stand. He reached up his hands to remove the gauze and Angel flinched away. "Gee I wonder where you got that habit from," he grinned as he lowered his hands and looked at me raising his eyebrows.

"Sorry," Angela and I both said in unison. "Jinx!" we yelled together again. Edward laughed at us as he reached up to Angela's neck again. She held still for him this time as he peeled off the gauze. I could see the little pieces of string sticking out of her neck and cringed away hiding my expression.

"What!" Angela exclaimed in response to my cringe. I couldn't look back over to her so I watched Edward instead.

"Angela," he reassured moving a hand to her shoulder, "it's fine, Bella's just a little squeamish."

"I'm a little squeamish to; this isn't going to hurt is it? 'Cause I'm not good with pain- very low threshold" she rattled off nervously.

"This coming from the girl who took on a vampire with nothing but her blood as a weapon," he commented as he picked up sterile scissors. "No sweetie, it's not going to hurt. You and your sister are quite alike when it comes to this stuff. Just relax and tilt your head away from me." Angela obliged and closed her eyes trying to zone out. I watched Edward's face as he worked. His eyes were focused but confident as his hands moved smoothly.

After a few moments he blotted her neck with a cotton ball and patted her on the back, "all done." He got up and walked across the room to the bathroom and reemerged with a mirror.

Angela took a close look at her reflection and seemed satisfied. I walked over and took a look to, the wound had closed and the scar was faint. I could see were the stitches were but it looked pretty good.

"Thanks!" she said to Edward as he started packing up.

"No problem, I'll go start some breakfast," he offered as he left the room. Angela and I both took turns in the shower and getting ready. I pulled on jeans and a scoop neck purple blouse, but left my shoes upstairs to go barefoot. We moseyed down stairs about forty minutes later.

I saw Edward pulling biscuits out of the oven as he placed them on the stove top. He poured the contents of a pot into a gravy boat. "Biscuits and gravy?" I enquired.

"Yep, you both like breakfast food," he stated.

"Ya know, I bet it's nice having a boyfriend that can read your mind" Angela commented to me.

I flushed red catching her secret meaning, "you have no idea," I raised my eyebrow and winked at her suggestively. That one caught her off guard and she just started at me blank faced as I walked over to Edward and he caught me up in his strong arms. He lifted me up to where just the tips of my bare toes grazed the tile floor and brought down those cool lips to meet mine. He kept it brief and modest in front of Angela as our audience.

Edward put me back on my feet and ushered us over to the table that was already set. Angela and I disposed of the entire dozen biscuits and the boat full of gravy. Edward poured us each tall glasses of orange juice to wash it all down. He sat down beside as we chatted.

There was a soft melody that rang through the house and Edward rose from the table, "Your mom is here to pick you up Angela, Carlisle called them last night and let them know what happened," he said.

"You told my mom?" Angela asked annoyed.

"Yes, but we told her everything was fine and that the attackers had been eliminated," he assured as we walked towards the front door.

Angela looked at me with a pitiful face, "she's not gonna let me out of her sight for weeks" she whined.

"No," I agreed sympathetically, "she's not" I ruffled my hand in her hair.

Edward opened the door, "Renee, welcome to our home."

"And a lovely house it is," my mom greeted politely reaching out and shaking Edward's hand.

Angela peeked out from behind Edward and my mom quickly side steeped to meet her and wrap her arms around her. "Ohh honey, are you alright?" mom asked as she pushed Angela away taking a good look at her.

"Yes mom, I'm fine," Angela replied monotone. "I need to go upstairs and pack my stuff."

"Why don't I show you around the house while Angela is packing her things," I suggested.

"I would love to see Esme's work," my mom admitted.

Edward led the now familiar way around the Cullen mansion. We walked through the kitchen, living room, and then went upstairs to the study. We swung by my room and Edward picked up Angela's luggage and toted it down the stairs like it was no heavier than two pounds.

As we approached the front door my mom turned back and gave me a hug, "take care honey, we'll see you over the weekend."

"Stay out of trouble Angela," I playfully scolded my sister as I gave her a hug goodbye.

Edward stood by me and placed his hand over my shoulder as they left. He closed and locked the door once their car was out of sight. "Do we have this whole house to ourselves?"

"In fact we do, that is until the hunting party gets back, so we have the rest of the morning. I was thinking we could go hiking or climbing again if you want?"

"You gotta be kidding me," I laughed as Edward looked at me perplexed. "You have literally run me ragged over the past week; can't we just stay in?" I almost begged.

Edward let out a laugh, "Sorry love, what do you want to do?"

"Actually I should probably catch up on some homework. I bet you could help me out, I'm having a hard time with AP Biology," I said.

"Alright, I'm sure I can help, though I don't know if I'm a very good teacher," he said timidly.

We walked upstairs hand in hand and I ducked into my room quickly to grab my book bag. Then we made our way to the study. Edward quickly cleared off Carlisle's desk; not that there was much on it, and I took out my biology and opened it to the chapter on human anatomy we were working on.

"See why I wanted your help?" I asked.

"It is one of my better subjects," he admitted.

I sat myself down in Carlisle's chair and pulled out the several papers with human skeletons on them and all the blank spots for the names of the bones. I took the first sheet and copied the bone names onto the worksheet from the book as Edward watched on. "Mid-terms are around the corner and I know this is going to be on it, I need to memorize them," I explained.

Once I had completed the chart, I closed the book and pulled out a fresh worksheet and tried to see how many of them I could remember. After five minutes of staring at the sheet I only managed to label the cranium, vertebrae, and the sternum.

"Do you remember which one is the tibia?" Edward encouraged me.

I moved my pencil up to one of the lower arm bones and Edward shook his head. I drifted the pencil to the second bone and Edward's looked at me doubtfully. I moved my pencil up to the top arm bone.

Edward laughed at me, "Bella, it's not in the arm," he was obviously amused by this but I was just frustrated by it. Give me an algebra problem any day- I was really good at math but I sucked at this. I tossed my pencil down and brought my hands up to my head. Why am I so dense when it comes to science?

"Bella, you are not dense. Hmm, I have an idea," Edward paused with an intriguing look on his face, "do you trust me?" he asked me genuinely.

"You know I trust you, what do you have in mind?" I asked.

"A different method at learning; you see everybody learns differently, some people learn visually, or by hearing, others learn more by doing- hands on if you will. I'm betting that you're the later, that's why you're good at math and solving Rubik's cubes, because they're interactive."

"I don't see how that's going to help," I pointed out. Edward got up from the desk and reached out for my hand. He walked me over to a deep green leather couch, one that looked like it belonged in a psychiatrist office. I sat down on the edge and he scooted a chair up in front of me.

Edward reached down and grabbed my ankles and swung them up on the couch. "Scoot over to the center," he instructed. I suddenly realized what he meant by "hands on" and flushed red trying to rope in my nerves. I had no experience in the sex category; I'd never even been to second base! Not that I didn't want to do all those things with Edward, but I'm sure he's had so much experience and I didn't know what I was doing, "Bella, relax," he interrupted, "this is purely educational, I promise."

As if it was even possible, that just made me even more uncomfortable knowing that he had just heard all of that. Edward leaned in towards me and met my lips with his. He placed his hands on my shoulders as our kiss deepened as I took in his overwhelming scent. He pushed me back with his lips and hands until I was reclining against the back of the curved couch. He moved his hands off my shoulders and placed them on the couch on either side of my head as he continued to kiss me, suspending himself above me. He pulled away after a few moments and had a mischievous look. "Well, not purely educational" he admitted.

I laughed and crossed my arms in front of me as I lay there on the couch feeling a little high now. Edward reached out his hand and held it palm up a few inches from me, I placed my hand in his and he used his other hand to run over the skin of my wrist as he explained, "the wrist bones are called carpals, and these are the metacarpals," he continued to move down my hand towards my fingers, "and these are phalanges" he played with my fingers.

I was listening and taking in his every word. Edward pulled out my hand and turned up my palm, "there are two bones here," he ran two fingers up my arm. "The one closest to your body is the ulna," he ran one finger along the bone, "which means this one is the radius. The bone in the upper arm is the humerus."

"Alright so let me see if I got this," I reached out for his hand and started at his fingers working my way up. "These are phalanges," I fluttered his fingers, "and metacarpals, carpals." I stopped at his wrist and flipped his hand palm up to uncross the arm bones, "the ulna," I ran a finger along the inside of his arm, "and radius," Edward nodded with a smile. "This one is the humerus," I leaned up out of the bed to reach his upper arm. I noticed his body was rock hard, well maybe more like ice hard.

"See I told you it wasn't that hard," Edward pointed out. I was surprised that I had remembered all of that. Edward reached down towards my feet and continued the lesson, "more phalanges, metatarsals, tarsals," he grasped my ankle rotating it lightly. His hand continued up my shins and I could feel the cool of his fingers through my jeans. "The tibia is the large bone here and the smaller one here is the fibia." Edward knocked on my knee cap, "the patella," he explained, "and the femur," his hand ran three inches up past my knee and the he stopped and let go.

I sat up and looked at my leg as I listed off the bone names he gave me and wiggled my toes and pointed to them along the way. "Good job Bella," Edward encouraged. "Alright lean back here for me," I followed his direction. Edward reached both his hands up to my head and worked his fingers into my hair, "Cranium, and mandible," he dragged his fingers across my jaw line. Then his hands went around to the back of my neck and he lightly touched the base of my skull where my scar from that fateful day in Port Angeles was, "the atlas bone allows you to rotate your head, and you already know the vertebrae," he ran his hand down my neck.

I moved my hands behind my head, as I continued to listen. Edward was an excellent teacher and it was nice to be so comfortable around him I was able to learn. And I admit- I enjoyed him touching me. His hands moved again and dragged across my collarbone, "Not a collarbone love, clavicle," he corrected my thoughts.

"Clavicle, got it," I agreed.

He took his hand and lightly rested it between my clavicle bones, "manubrium." Edward paused and seemed to be contemplating something, then his fingers moved down between my breasts and I gasped at the sensation, "sternum," he said simply and then he took both hands and ticked my mid section. "Ribs are ticklish" he taunted as I squirmed and laughed. "And the pelvic bone," his hands wrapped around my lower waist with his thumbs pressing lightly on my hip bones through my jeans.

_Ohh darn, we ran out of bones_, I thought playfully to myself. Edward's hands lingered around my waist as I sat up and reached my arms around his neck pulling him into a kiss. He submitted to my pull bent over me as we continued to meld our lips together.

* * *

I don't know how long we kissed, but it was a while, and with all the adrenaline in my system, the memories of it are a bit fuzzy. It was definitely the best kiss I had ever had. The good news is once we were done I walked back over to the desk and successfully labeled all the bones on the blank chart. Edward was an excellent teacher.


	27. Steps

**Author's notes: Okay, I'm back! And busy writing away. I'm going to *try* to get out these next several chapters as quickly as possible; cliff hanger warning! I warned you a few chapters ago things are about to get angsty. So bunker down and bear with me, I promise there is light at the end of the tunnel. Please review, you're my inspiration to write faster!**

Steps

Love is a funny thing. It's wonderful and mysterious, it's captivating and freeing; it's everything I had ever hoped it would be. My life at the Cullen's house was a dream; a fairy tale. It was a place where pixies pranced around promising a bright future, a place where sorrows were minimized and joy exemplified, a place were one's strength was demonstrated through play, where love could heal all wounds.

I had lived with the Cullen's for a month now and everything in my life had changed- for the best. I was awake in my bed; Edward was lying beside me, holding me close to him. He told me he liked to watch me sleep, but I think he liked me awake to.

"What are you thinking, Bella?" he asked his typical question.

"About how much I love you, how blessed I was to find you," I answered without missing a beat.

"I love you Bella," Edward pulled my body flush against his and kissed and nipped his way down my neck. I laughed lightly at the soft and cool sensation. He stopped suddenly and was very still.

"Edward?"

He didn't move. I leaned down to find his eyes and reached my hands to either side of his face, "Edward, what is it?"

Alice burst into the room, "You have to go now!" She snapped him out of his trance. Edward stormed out of the room and just as the door was about to close he was back through it fully dressed.

He stood there in the doorway with a look of horror on his face. I had never seen him sacred like this before. "Bella get dressed," Alice instructed as she pulled clothes out of my closet and threw them at the bed I was laying on.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I'll explain on the way Bella," Edward said, "we need to go now." His voice was urgent as he attempted to hide his fear, but I could see it. Anything that had Edward scared had me mortified.

I threw the covers off and didn't waste anytime chucking my pajamas and pulling on the clothes. Alice was behind me as soon as the blouse was on and pulled my hair into a ponytail. Edward had my feet up and was putting on my tennis shoes while I was buttoning my jeans. In a mater of seconds he had me out the door and in the Volvo.

The car roared to life as we speed out of the long driveway and hit the highway. I looked at Edward and he was wired, "Edward, where are we going?"

"Bella, I need you not to panic," he began.

I panicked, "Edward! Where are we going, what the hell is going on?" I yelled at him.

"Angela," he answered with one word.

What about Angela? What about Angela would have Edward act like this?

Then it clicked.

"Ohh God, Angela! Edward, drive faster," I cried.

"Bella, we'll make it in time," he assured.

"Edward, tell me what she saw," I pleaded.

"Alice's visions aren't absolute, the future can always change."

"Tell. Me. What. She. Saw." I enunciated each word.

"Angela is going to get sick. Bella, we'll get her back to the house with plenty of time. Alice has given us about four hours of notice here before she starts feeling any symptoms. Carlisle will be home before we get back, Alice has called him and he's grabbing supplies at the hospital right now," Edward explained.

I was in shock. My world had been turned upside down, "No. No, it's not possible. Edward she's so young. I'm supposed to get sick first. No, there must be a mistake. Are you sure it was Angela Alice saw?"

"Bella I need your help here, I need you to pull it together for Angela. Where would she be?" Edward seemed calmer, he had focus now- I needed to focus to.

I looked at the clock on the dash- 9:15am. "She would be at school, her second period is English. I remember where the class is."

"Okay, good. We'll be there before ten; will she still be in the same class?"

It took me few moments to get my brain working again, "She's in English until 10:30," I was fairly certain.

Edward handed me his little silver cell phone, "You need to call your parents," he instructed.

I sat there staring at the phone for a while. What exactly was I supposed to tell them? Edward was just quiet now as he continued to speed down the road. Edward said we would get her back to the house in time, but what did that mean? I needed to know.

"Is Angela going to make it?"

He was just quiet.

I lost it. I cried hysterically, my body shaking with each sobbing heave. The tears poured out of my eyes and cascaded off my chin. I felt cold and empty in a matter of seconds.

I eventually ran out of tears and my voice became wraspy from the sobs.

"Bella we are going to do everything we can," Edward said with confidence. He looked me in the eyes, "Alice has been wrong before, it has happened- more than once. Her vision is so blurred when it comes to your kind anyways. Yes, she saw Angela die, but Bella, she may not." I knew him well enough to know he wasn't lying. "Angela will need you to be strong; she will need you to fight for her. So get it out of your system now, because in a few minutes she will be in this car with us, and we need her not to panic either. We need her to trust us and to have hope and faith Bella, it's so important that she keeps hope so she keeps fighting."

I nodded my head. I was done. Now this was about Angela, and I would do everything in my power to give her every remote chance. I opened the phone and quickly dialed my mom's desk. She answered on the second ring, "Hello?" she didn't recognize Edward's number.

"Mom, it's Bella."

"Oh hi hon, I'm so glad you called me. Are you having fun at the Cullen's?"

"Mom I need you to get dad and get over to the Cullen house, you remember how to get there?"

"Yes I remember dear, what's going on?"

I still didn't know what to tell her.

"Bella are you alright?" the familiar worry was back in her voice.

"It's not me mom, it's Angela. Edward and I are pulling up to the school now, we are going to bring her back to Edward's."

"Ok, tell her we love her and will see her soon," it sounded like my mom was almost prepared for this to happen.

"I will." I disconnected the line and Edward pulled into a parking space near the main entrance of the middle school.

I got out of the car and ran down the familiar halls with Edward following close at my side. I quickly found the room and didn't hesitate to open the door, "Angela," I called out over the crowded and shocked class.

"Excuse me!" the teacher protested.

Angela stood up grabbing her bags and ran out the door to meet me. I took her hand and she ran with us out to the car. Edward had the back door open in an instant and I sat in the back seat with her.

"Not that I am at all mad about being kidnapped out of Mr. Banner's boring English, but to what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked light hearted.

I couldn't help but pull her into a hug. "Mom and Dad will meet us at Edward's house," I said as I pulled back a little staring into her eyes.

"What's going on, Bella are you okay?" she asked with a note of fear in her voice.

"Alice had a vision Angela, she saw you getting sick," there was no way I was even going to try to keep this from her.

Angela seemed to take a moment to process my words.

"Alice even told me her visions aren't always right, I feel fine. You two are overreacting," she decided.

"We're not taking any chances," Edward said simply.

* * *

We pulled up to the house and Carlisle was waiting on the door step. Edward had Angela's door open in a heartbeat but she hesitated to get out.

"I really feel fine," she said as she gathered the strength to walk into that house. I think it was sinking in for her, what was happening. She shook her head and walked up the front steps with Edward and I behind her. Carlisle reached out a hand as she stepped up the last step. She hesitated to take it, knowing what she was agreeing to by coming here. Angela knew that if she was about to get sick, what torture would follow. There would be no peaceful end here, only a bitter determined fight.

I hoped she would choose to fight. She bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes and reached up her hand to Carlisle's. He took it gently, "It's going to be alright Angela; it's going to be alright."

Carlisle walked Angela into the living room and towards the stairs. "This could be a false alarm you know, I really do feel fine," she commented again as she stopped at the base of the stairs. She looked normal enough.

"Why don't you just let me take a quick look?" Carlisle stepped up the first stair but Angela stayed frozen where she was. Angela did not want to go up those stairs and I couldn't blame her one bit. Carlisle let go of Angela's hand, "Alright, why don't you make yourself comfortable in the living room and I'll come back down to you."

Angela nodded seemingly relieved. Edward and I sat down on the loveseat while Angela plopped herself down on the couch. Esme walked into the living room, "What can I get you girls to eat?" she offered kindly.

"I'm not hungry, but thanks," Angela responded.

"Just a couple sandwiches for us would be nice," I would get Angela to eat them. Esme nodded and headed for the kitchen.

Carlisle was back down the stairs a few moments later. He sat down a few inches away from Angela, "Take a couple slow, deep breaths for me," he instructed. Angela did as Carlisle used a stethoscope on her back. He followed by taking her pulse and blood pressure. "Everything seems normal, for now."

We all breathed a sigh of relief.

"So now what?" I asked anxiously.

"Now we wait," Alice instructed as she walked down the stairs. It was strange to see her move so slowly, lacking her normal light heartedness and energy. Her vision hadn't changed.


	28. Supposed To

Supposed To

Thank goodness for Emmet, he was quick to pull out the Wii and put in Mario Kart. It kept us busy and after about an hour Angela still seemed fine. I started to relax, maybe she was fine; in fact she seemed great as she won another round.

She cleared her throat, "I don't know if I've ever seen anyone crash that often Emmet."

"It's not about how many times you crash, it's about getting to the finish line first," he pointed out with a gruff.

Angela grabbed her glass off water and took a couple sips, then started coughing as she put the water back on the table. Carlisle knelt down in front of her instantly and just watched her.

"Just went," she gasped, "down the," cough, "wrong tube," Angela held up her hand to Carlisle. But she didn't stop coughing.

Carlisle pulled out the stethoscope again and reached around Angela's back with a worried look on his face. Angela made obvious effort and finally cleared her throat. "I'm fine," she said slightly out of breath.

"Angela, I need to run some tests," Carlisle said as he stood up, "do you need help getting up stairs?"

"No," she retorted, "No, I'm fine. Let's just play another round, ok? I'm fine."

I stood up and turned off the game, "Angela, please" I insisted.

"Please yourself Bella! It's not supposed to happen this way. I should have years still, it's supposed to be cured by the time I get it!" she yelled at me.

The room was quiet as the Cullens filed out. Carlisle gave me a look and headed up the stairs with Edward to wait for us. I appreciated that they were trying to give us a few moments.

"Angela, Carlisle has been working hard on this, he may have the cure up there and not even know it. Mom and dad will be here in a few minutes, you're not going to die, you just have to get your butt upstairs and fight."

"Promise me you'll stay with me, that you won't leave me?" she requested, her voice a little shakey.

"I promise."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Things had gotten progressively worse from the moment Angela walked up those stairs. As we reached the exam room she was out of breath from climbing to the second floor. Angela was far from out of shape though, she wasn't a marathon runner by any means, but one flight of stairs shouldn't have had her winded.

I held Angela's hand as we approached the door way and stood at the entrance frozen in fear by what we saw. Edward and Carlisle were in the exam room busying themselves turning on machines and medical devices. The room no longer looked like a hospital room- it looked like an operating room. The huge, round overhead lights, several sterile trays with instruments spread out, mechanical IV machines, and monitors.

I stood my ground but Angela took a step back. Carlisle and Edward stopped what they were doing and acknowledged us. Edward slowed down but continued to move around the room as Carlisle made his way over to us.

"Angela," the doctor began, "I'm going to do everything I can, but I need you on my side, because I am on yours. You have nothing to fear from us."

"I know, I'm here to beat this, to live. It's just a little intimidating is all," Angela responded maturely and walked forward into the room.

"Alright, well let's get started then. We'll step out while you change," Carlisle motioned towards the hospital gown on the bed. Angela just nodded in response as we all stepped out of the room.

Once the door was shut Carlisle turned to me, "Bella will you come talk to me in my study for a moment?"

"Of course," I replied.

We walked into the familiar study and sat down facing each other on a few cushioned seats. "Bella the road ahead of Angela is about to get rough. She will probably be in allot of pain and there may not be much that can to do about it. I'm going to try everything not only to cure her but also to make her comfortable, but I fear she won't find any rest until she is better. I need you to push her when she gets afraid or weak, keep her going. With terminal diseases like this, when the patient gives up things go downhill fast. I need you to buy me time Bella, can you do this?"

I mulled over Carlisle's words, I'd seen how unbearable the Swan Sickness was and knowing my sister was about to go through it was devastating. If she was going to go through the torture I had to know it was a worthwhile fight, "What are her chances?"

Carlisle shook his head, "I don't know. I have several experimental drugs, but I don't know if they will work or what combinations might reverse the sickness."

"Dr. Cullen," I address him formally standing up and crossing my arms in front of me. "Be frank with me, I need to know if you think she'll make it."

He stood up in response, "fifty/ fifty, my trials have shown success but there is no way to know until now. We need to go back to her, are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," we walked out of the room as I followed behind Carlisle.

"Your parents are here," he said as he shut the door to the study behind us.

**Author's Note: Okay, I know. Things are getting rough, but it's part of the journey. Please share your thoughts below by clicking the review button, as they say in Canada: Thank you!**


	29. Fighting

Fighting

Angela was a fighter at heart. My parents and I had stayed in her room by her side for two hours now. She was hooked up to several machines, IVs and oxygen. Her body had started to shift; her fingers were webbed and scales starting to show on her legs. Angela kept fighting as she gasped and heaved for each breath. This was the longest anyone survived once the sickness had set in. It was apparent that Carlisle was fighting for Angela to.

"Ok, Angela," Carlisle approached her with a large syringe, "this is shiftzemectrin, it will force your shift back to human. I used it on Bella before, it won't hurt," he assured. Several of the medications Carlisle had given Angela over the past few hours had adverse side affects. One had given her a migraine, another had made her muscles cramp and several had made her nauseous on top of her already having a hard time breathing.

"He did, I slept right through it," I admitted. Angela looked a little relieved. She hadn't been able to speak to us for about thirty minutes now. Carlisle injected her tube with the clear fluid and her body relaxed almost instantly. I breathed a sigh of relief seeing that her discomfort was lessening.

Her breathing slowed down and she was finally able to speak again, "I need to sit up." Her voice sounded like sand paper. Edward was near me and reached down to adjust the bed into a reclined position.

"Is that better?" he asked her.

"Yeah, hurts less, thanks," she squeaked out.

"Anything I can get for you?" Edward offered.

"Can I have something to drink?" Angela asked, her voice sounding a little better.

Edward looked over to Carlisle questioningly. Carlisle was mixing drugs and vials, but paused to answer, "it's up to you if you want anything. I can't promise you'll be able to keep it down. I'm sorry that some of these medications make you so nauseous. Are you very thirsty?"

"No, just my throat burns, never mind, I don't want to be sick again, I hate puking" Angela answered.

Carlisle went to a cabinet and sorted through some vials coming up with a spray, "Let's try this," he suggested.

Angela willingly opened her mouth as the doctor sprayed the mist inside. She coughed and cleared her throat again, her symptoms already returning. Carlisle took note of all the readings on the machines before walking over to where my parents were huddled near Angela's head. "Edward and I are going to step out for a few moments to regroup before the next round, and to give you some time together. Call out if you need us, we'll just be a few doors away." Edward grabbed his clipboard and came over to me and gave me a kiss on the forehead before following Carlisle out of the room.

Angela let out a few more coughs. "How are you holding up?" I asked her.

"I've had better days," she answered.

"You're doing so well Angela," my dad reached out for her hand, "I'm very proud of you, you know that right?"

Angela just nodded in response.

"We're both proud of you and love you so much," my poor mother had been crying off and on for the past several hours. Whatever composure she had was gone now.

"Please don't do that mom, I'm fighting and I'm gonna make it," Angela assured. If it was only up to her will power she would. Angela coughed to clear her throat again as her body shuddered in pain and weakness.

Carlisle and Edward came in a few minutes later. "Esme has made some dinner for you," Carlisle said to all of us, "why don't you go down stairs and take a short break."

I didn't want to leave Angela; she had made me promise not to leave her. "Go Bella," Angela almost read my mind. "Go on, one of us should be eating Esme's amazing cooking. I expect you to eat extra for me" she insisted.

I hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek before leading the way out of the room as my parents followed, hugging and kissing Angela as they went as well. We made our way into the kitchen and saw Rosalie setting the table.

We ate, though I don't recall what. My parents went back upstairs to be with Angela, but I stayed down stairs to give them time alone with her. I gazed out the window and watched as the rain that trickled down the leaves and fell to the damp earth beneath. Not a single ray of sunshine was anywhere to be found. Rosalie came up and stood beside me putting a hand on my shoulder. She didn't say anything, but just knowing someone was there helped me regain my composure. I stood there staring out into the gloom for a few more seconds before turning my back on it and walking back up those stairs.

* * *

Time repeated itself. Two hours later left Angela not able to speak again and gasping for air her body was unable to absorb. She was sickly and pale and her extremities trembled in agony. We talked to her and tried to soothe her while I am fairly certain she down played her discomfort and muffled her screams.

She convulsed as she heaved and coughed up blood suddenly. Edward cleaned her face and held a familiar plastic bowl under her chin while Carlisle pushed another dose of the shiftzemectrin into her IV making her scales and webbed fingers fade away. I noticed that it was a significantly larger dose he gave her this time.

Minutes passed but Angela didn't speak, she just laid there as her body trembled. If I didn't know any better I might say that she had lost weight, she looked bony. I knew Carlisle was feeding her intravenously to keep her strength up since she was unable to keep anything down.

Edward moved away as it seemed her fit was over and my mother took back over wiping a cool washcloth over her forehead. I held her hand and rubbed small circles around her wrist avoiding the wires and tubes.

Ten minutes later Angela moaned as she opened her eyes. She rolled towards my family and I, away from Edward and Carlisle, and pulled her legs up as she curled her body into a fetal position. They backed off and let her be for a few minutes. My mom started talking to her, reminiscing stories about when we were kids. I tried to block it out because I couldn't afford to get emotional. I had to be strong for Angela, Carlisle had said he needed more time and I would give it to him.

After a few moments Carlisle and Edward moved back over to us. Edward lightly pulled Angela's legs around and rotated her back so she was reclining on the bed. Dr. Cullen listened to her breathing and prodded her tender abdomen.

"You're doing great Angela, I know this is hard," he said sympathetically. He pulled up a stool and sat so he was eye level with her as he looped his stethoscope back around his neck. "But you're getting too weak, I'm going to go ahead and put in a breathing tube so I'll be able to saturate your lungs with oxygen."

"No," she grumbled out shaking her head, the first word she had spoken in a long time.

"Angela," I caught her eye, "we've come so far, don't stop now," I said sternly. "You are stronger than this, you're better than this, you're gold for heaven's sake, you defy the odds. Don't stop."

She sniffled and gasped a few more breaths as she nodded her head closing her eyes.

Carlisle pulled a syringe out of his lab coat, "Alright Angela," he spoke softly, "I'm going to put you to _try_ to put you to sleep for a few moments. When you wake up, there will be a machine helping you breathe." Carlisle had been unsuccessful in sedating Angela thus far and I heard the doubt in his voice as he pushed the liquid into Angela's tube.

She remained awake and aware, still heaving. "Esme," Carlisle called softly. Seconds later the door to the exam room opened and Esme walked in. "Will you please take Bella and her parents downstairs for a few minutes?"

"We're not going anywhere," my mother responded with fear in her voice. Carlisle looked to my father seriously and I got what the look meant instantly: _you don't want her to be here for this._

"Come on Renee'" my dad pulled my mom up from the chair, "just give the doctor a few minutes."

My mom kissed Angela on the forehead and whispered, "I love you" in her ear. Angela mouthed the same in response as they followed out Esme.

"Bella?" Edward said.

"I'm not leaving her," Angela grabbed my hand tighter.

The door shut behind my parents, "Bella you shouldn't be here for this, I don't want you to see this," Edward retorted.

_This isn't about me, this is about her. You want me to buy you time and make her stronger? That's what I'm doing. I'm not leaving her Edward. _

"Fine," he admitted dejectedly. "Angela, we still need to put the tube in. I won't lie to you it's going to hurt and you're going to struggle against us even though you may not mean to. We'll make it as quick as possible," Edward was running his thumb softly over Angela's brow. Carlisle walked back over with a tray that had a tube and a metal devise with a curved, long flat plain.

"Edward is going to help keep you still," Carlisle explained as he lowered the bed down flat. Edward walked behind the head of the bed and placed his palms on Angela's shoulders. She shuddered a little between gasps.

"It's alright Angela, I'm right here," I could see the fear in her eyes. "Lets not think about it, ok? Remember when we took out first swim together as mermaids?" She was looking at me intently; until Carlisle reached over and pulled a towel over her eyes. She immediately panicked and struggled against Edward. He released her and took the towel from her eyes.

"Angela, it's alright," Carlisle crooned as he placed a hand on her cheek. "It will be easier if you close your eyes for me," Carlisle encouraged. Her breath shuddered as she closed her eyes and Edward placed the cloth back over her eyes and put his hands back on her shoulders.

I started talking to her again as Carlisle positioned her head by tilting her chin up, her breathing seemed to slow a little. "The speed was amazing, the water so clear and refreshing. I don't know about you, but I've always noticed the difference breathing in the water. It's dense and has sustenance to it. The sea has more flavor and is more sustaining; a deep breath of the sea causes my entire body to relax from my head down to the tip of my fin. I'm sure you felt it to, it's like the weight of the world being lifted from your shoulders." I continued to speak to her as I watched Carlisle use the metal instrument that pried her jaw open.

"The rhythmic roll of the waves are soothing as they push you around. They are constant, whether you swim with them or against them," Carlisle started to insert the tube and Angela stiffened but didn't move all that much. "The sea creatures recognize us as friends and freely swim with us. I know you got to swim with the orca that day, remember how it felt to swim with a creature so powerful, yet to also know you are vastly more powerful." Carlisle pulled the metal tool out of her mouth and quickly hooked her up to the machine that started pumping oxygen in and out of her lungs.

Edward released her and took the towel from her eyes as she blinked up in the light. I don't think she was capable of putting up much fight even if she had wanted to at this point.

My parents came back in a few moments later and resumed their positions. "I'm just going to use the restroom, I'll be right back," I said as Angela nodded slightly to me.

As soon as the door behind me shut I dashed for the nearest bathroom and proceeded to empty the contents of my stomach. I stood up and made my way back to the sink as a soft knock opened the door. Edward was there with a glass of water, "you alright love?" he asked with a concerned look on his face.

"Mmmmhmmm," I mumbled taking the water from him and swishing it around my mouth before spitting it into the sink and flushing the toilet. After washing my hands I slowly downed the rest of the water as I backed away from the sink. Edward turned back on the faucet and grabbed a clean wash cloth. I leaned against the door frame and closed my eyes for a few moments. I felt his presence in front of me but I didn't move. He gently padded my forehead and eyes with the cool cloth as his other hand rested on my shoulder. I took a few slow deep breaths and felt better. I opened my eyes to Edward's worried expression. "I'm alright; it just got to me all of the sudden. I'm okay now," I tried to assure him.

He ran his cool hand across my forehead, "you're not running a temperature," he commented. "Why don't you take a break, go lay down for a few minutes. I'll get you if anything changes," he suggested.

I shook my head and walked out of the bathroom and back to my sister's side.


	30. Options

Options

Another hour passed and Angela only got worse again.

"Renee, Charlie, would you come join me in my study?" Carlisle asked. My mother didn't even acknowledge him. "I can hear everything in this room from there, we won't be far and we won't be long. Edward will stay here with her. I need to speak to you," he insisted.

They both got up begrudgingly and I followed them. I kissed Angela's hand before letting her go, "I'll be right back," I said. She blinked once which meant _yes_. I knew what they were going to talk about in that study and I deserved to be a part of that conversation.

We walked into the study together. Carlisle motioned for us to take seats near his desk as he leaned up against the desk top. I'd never seen him look like this before, he'd dropped the façade. He didn't look tired, just spent. He didn't look frustrated, just resigned.

"I'm so sorry that all of this has happened and that I haven't been able to do more," he began. "At this point," he paused, "I am out of options."

_Out of options? _Angela had lasted for six hours now! _Out of options!?_

"I need you to make a very hard choice:" Carlisle spoke slowly, his gaze unwavering, "If you want I can force one last shift back to human, it will give you another two to three hours of much the same condition she has been in. I won't do anymore beyond that- it's inhumane- I don't think she would survive it anyways.

"Or, I would recommend we let nature take it's course from here. I'll take out the breathing tube and try to make her comfortable. She will last maybe another hour or so."

"What if we keep forcing shifts until you find something?" I asked frantically.

"Bella," Carlisle responded with certainty, "I've done everything I can. At some point, we are no longer saving a life but only prolonging death. If there was any hope left I would battle with you, but I won't needlessly torture her. She's too far gone and won't survive anymore treatments."

My mother broke down and my father tried to console her. It hit me hard but my body refused to shed a tear. After a few moments of shock I realized that if Carlisle had given up, then it was truly over. I stared him down, he knew exactly what I wanted if it was truly over.

"I will give you the third option. I'll remove the breathing tube and give her an overdose of morphine. She'll simply fall to sleep in a mater of minutes and not wake up." Carlisle turned his head down as if he was ashamed.

The room was silent except for my mother's sobs. I even saw the tears roll down my fathers face. I stood up and went over to them and they embraced me and held me close. My mother pulled away, "if there is no hope, then I don't want her to suffer any more," she managed to croak out. My father nodded in agreement.

"Alright, I'll take out the tube and give you what ever time you want. Once I administer the morphine, I doubt she will hold on very long. I think she's ready to let go, she just needs to know you're ok to let go to."

We walked back into that room together. Angela was still struggling with the breathing machine unintentionally. She looked so sick and weak- and tired. Carlisle moved quietly around her and I think she understood his why his haste was gone. She looked relieved.

"I'm going to take out the tube now Angela, deep breath in then out," she followed his direction with a tremble in her lungs. Then she coughed and gagged up more blood once the tube was out. Edward tended to her until she stopped coughing and tilted her bed up back into a reclining position. She was the most relaxed I had seen her in the past four hours, though she was obviously still in pain as her limbs randomly twitched. Her fingers had webbed and her legs had the beautiful purple and gold scales starting to shimmer through the thin sheets covering her.

Carlisle proceeded to remove all the tubes and machines save one IV that was plugged into her arm. Angela relaxed even further. As a family we circled around her and my father prayed. I held his hand along with Angela's- her grip weak and her hand cold. I couldn't hear the words my father said, I could only stare into Angela's eyes as she stared back lovingly into mine. I would always love her and I told her so as did my mother and father. We would see her on the other side. I would see her on the other side… soon.

I in my peripheral vision I saw my father nod in Carlisle's direction. I didn't see him approach, but I saw him walk away back towards Edward as they waited in the corner of the room.

He was right; only moments later, Angela willing let go and faded into sleep and then went home to be with God. A golden angel of the sea heaven bound.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Yes, she is gone, sorry. This stuff has been hard to write. I know it's sad, I loved Angela to but it was always going to be this way. Would it help if I told you there is a happy ending out there? Because there is, a very happy ending at that. Bella is still with holding important information that will change everything. So hang on, the next chapter puts all the cards on the table. Please feel free to rant or mourn by clicking the review button below. Now I gotta go find a box of tissue...**


	31. Gift

Gift

I went home with my parents that night. Carlisle kept Angela for the next few days to do an autopsy. She wouldn't have minded, she wasn't there anymore.

Neither was I. All of the pieces of my life had lined up, cards laid out, roads merged, and it all meant nothing.

My father talked to Carlisle and told him our burial plans. The Cullens took care of the rest. They were there for the funeral, Edward had tried to console me, but I was simply empty. I hadn't even cried once since she died, not even when I looked at her, lying there in the mahogany coffin, in that beautiful purple and gold dress from the night on the yacht. She looked peaceful and I was quietly appreciative the Cullens had taken the time to make her look more like her old self and not like when she was sick. I wanted to remember her alive and happy, swimming in the open seas. And so I would.

The days passed, the sun rose and set, then rose again only to usher back the darkness. Night and day held much the same for me, sadness and emptiness as sleep and rest evaded me. I went back to my school and saw my old friends. I went through the motions but nothing more. What was the purpose of school when I would never make it to college? I went anyways, for my parents I kept up the routine.

Edward called me and came to see me. He tried to get me to talk and tried to comfort me, but I just pushed him away. I had nothing to give him and it wasn't fair of me to hold onto him. I was never worthy of him.

A week after the funeral, I decided to go back to the Cullens' house to gather my belongings and tie up the loose ends. I owed them that much; and really so much more. I knew how hard Carlisle and Edward had worked to save my sister, to save all of us. The fact that she lived six hours after her first symptoms was a testament to their determination. They had been nothing but welcoming, loving and giving. I owed them a proper goodbye- and maybe something more.

With a heavy heart I pulled up into their driveway that evening. Edward answered the door and greeted me with a hug I only half retuned.

"It's good to see you," I admitted to Edward, some peace radiating in my heart. I walked in the door and saw Jasper and Alice on the couch. Alice ran up to hug me to and the sense of peace grew stronger as I gave a slight smile to Jasper. I'm sure my troubled heart was a heavy burden to him. I was a burden to all of them.

I needed to get this over with and let them all move on and forget about us. "I need to talk to Carlisle alone, is he home?" I asked Edward.

I saw movement at the top of the stairs and there was Carlisle. He nodded to the others as they walked out of the house. I walked up the stairs and past the exam room. The door was closed and I silently wondered if all the machines and such were still in there. Shaking my head, I continued into the study behind the doctor.

He sat behind his desk and interlaced his fingers in front of him as he slouched forward. He still looked spent.

"I came here to thank you for everything," I began as he tilted his head, caught off guard by my words. "I know you did everything you could for Angela, and I wanted to thank you."

"Bella, why does it sound like you're saying goodbye?" he inquired, "This isn't the end. Angela's death was tragic, but not in vain. Edward and I have been working non-stop. We have new ideas, we can't stop here. Look how far we came with Angela. Please don't give up on me now," he almost pleaded.

I was resolved, "We do appreciate all that you have done, we truly do, not only my family but the entire tribe. I can't stay here though; I can't do that to Edward."

He looked at me puzzled, "I don't understand, what does it have to do with Edward? Surely he wants you here."

"That's why I can't stay. I'm going to die Carlisle, it will devastate him. I don't wish him that type of pain now that I know it all too well. I'm going to leave him and break all ties so that he can move on with his life."

"You don't understand the nature of vampires or the nature of his love. It's permanent, Bella. You can leave him, but he will never stop loving you. He would want whatever time you have left."

"I have made my decision; I came here to offer my thanks." I had made my decision; I would offer the Cullens my one last secret. There was no reason to protect a dying people.

"Bella, listen to me," Carlisle interrupted.

"Carlisle I did not come here empty handed," he looked at me puzzled again. "My cousin Alison, passed away this morning, she was the only other silver mermaid in our tribe besides me. The older generations are shifting back to human permanently. It's over for us. There are no secrets left to protect."

Carlisle had a look of sadness on his face at the realization that our people had effectively surrendered.

"So I've come to offer you the best gift I can give. I can make you human again."


	32. Tonight

Tonight

Carlisle's face was blank. I raised my eyebrows as he furrowed his, "how?"

"It's what I've been hiding. A black mermaid would cripple you, a gold instantly kill. I told you a silver mermaid would make you very weak and easy to kill. My blood should make you human again. I had to hide it before, your family is too we connected, others would notice your disappearance and would have come and found you human- exposing the tribe."

He looked at me in awe.

"Since we will no longer exist soon, it doesn't matter anymore. None of it matters. The offer stands for anyone in your family and I suggest we act quickly, I don't know how much time I have. I assume you can map out a schedule to get it over with for me as quickly and safely as possible."

Carlisle was silent for a few more moments. "Bella, I don't think we can do that. You see, I'm not giving up on you. Therefore I can't risk your exposure like that. You're right, we are too well connected- we would be noticed. But in time I can break those connections. I'm fairly certain we would all take you up on your offer once you are past the sickness and we'll figure it out then. I will not compromise your health by taking blood until it has been cured. Please Bella, please stay, Angela would want you to stay and fight, fight like she did."

Angela? What did he know about what Angela would have wanted? Angela wanted to live and she's gone! Who was he to make assumptions about what other people wanted? What about what I wanted? I wanted my sister back; I wanted to live, I wanted Edward. Edward. "I can't… Edward… I need to go," I felt my eyes well with the long awaited tears. I stood up and walked towards the door. Carlisle beat me there and pulled me into a hug. "I have to go," I insisted as the sobs broke me even further.

"Bella, sweetheart," he spoke softly, "you can leave, of course I won't hold you here, but will you stay just for tonight? I don't want you driving like this. Just stay for tonight and you can leave in the morning, alright?"

"I.." my voice was hard to find, "can't face him like this."

"You don't have to, I'll fend him off for the night. Get some rest. You look like you haven't slept in days."

If only he knew, I hadn't slept more than two or three hours a night since Angela died. I nodded to him resigned; driving back home in my current condition would have been stupid. I might have been empty, sad and alone, but I wasn't suicidal and had no desire to put my parents through further heart ache, they would loose me soon enough.

Carlisle ushered me back into the familiar room. I found pajamas and climbed into the bed to sleep one last night in the Cullen mansion. A place that used to hold joy, happiness, love and hope. Now it was filled with sorrow, remembrance of loss, heart ache, pain and despair. I doubted I would find any rest here.

* * *

I laid in that bed for five hours watching the digital clock tick by each minute. My mind and heart were just empty again. I decided to go down stairs to get a glass of water.

I hoped to avoid Edward, at least for a few more hours. My hopes were fulfilled as I walked into the empty kitchen. There was light leaking in from the living room that gave the kitchen an eerie feeling. I reached for the familiar cabinet, but paused as my hand grazed the wood.

In a moment I reached for the cabinet beside it and grabbed that blue bottle of Tylenol PM. It would just be for tonight, I just needed one night of sleep to clear my head. One night of nothingness and maybe I could get past the rest.

I grabbed a glass of water and put it on the counter and opened up the bottle to count out the pills.

Suddenly the light switched on and the pills dropped out of my hand and clattered to the tile floor. I turned around to see him standing there.

"What are you doing Bella," he asked sternly. I ignored him and knelt down to the ground to pick up the scattered little blue pills.

"Edward," I heard Carlisle's frustrated voice, "I told you to let her be for the night." I stood back up ignoring both of them.

"I will not leave her alone as she tries to kill herself," Edward argued.

That was it.

"What the hell, Edward! I am not trying to kill myself. Mind your own business and leave me alone!" I had never heard my own voice that loud and angry.

"Bella," he said his voice now more calm, "I am not letting you take six Tylenol PM."

I eyed the six little pills in my hand and quickly closed my fingers around them hoping Carlisle would not see the quantity.

"Six is a bit excessive," Carlisle said surety.

I felt the tears well up and roll down my face as I turned my head down in shame: six. Really, six? How had I got to six? All I wanted was a night of peace, why did I even open that cabinet? Was I really going to down six?

I walked over to the sink and tossed the pills in and down the disposal. Turning my back to the sink I sank down to the floor pinching the bridge of my nose in sadness. I couldn't show my face to them.

Edward knelt down beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder that I quickly shrugged off. I looked past him and directly at Carlisle, "I just wanted to sleep for a few hours," my voice was cracking as I looked up at him. "I haven't been able to sleep and I'm so tired." I was crying again, "I don't know why I had six, I wasn't thinking. I should just go."

I stood up from where I was but Carlisle stepped in my way, "Bella, it's two in the morning, just stay. Why didn't you tell me you were having a hard time sleeping? I could have given you something."

"I didn't want to trouble you, then I came down here and I just remembered that you had them and…" my voice broke off.

"You are never any trouble Bella. If you want to take Tylenol PM it's fine, but please don't take more than three," Carlisle asked.

"I don't want any," my voice was certain. I obviously wasn't in control if I was about to take six and I wouldn't let that habit get out of control again.

"Would you like me to get you something else to help you sleep?" Carlisle offered. I could feel Edward's eyes on me, judging me.

I thought about it for a few moments as I leaned back up against the counter, my head clearing. Edward already knew I had issues before so I had nothing to hide from him. "I'll be honest, I've had problems with sleeping pills in the past," Carlisle was listening but his expression towards me didn't change. "Is there anything you can give me that won't be habit forming?"

"The fact that you are aware that you had a problem means that you probably would be safe to take something without much risk of dependency. I wish that you would talk to one of us- or to someone- a counselor. But for know I can prescribe something to get you through the next week or so."

"I just want something for tonight."

"Alright let me go see what I have, wait here."

That left me alone with Edward. "Why won't you let me help you, why won't you talk to me?" he asked.

Because I'm leaving.

Edward paused and I'm fairly certain he had heard my thoughts. "That is something we can discuss tomorrow," he paused, "if you are leaving, then won't you give me tonight? Just tonight? Let us spend one last night together, let me help you."

I heard his request, I owed Edward one last good night. I deserved one last night with him to.

"Tonight."


	33. Time

Time

Edward took me up to his room. I guess I never really got a good look at it before. There was music lining the walls and rather lavish sound system. There were a few guitars and other instruments hanging here and there. The bed was a recent addition, pure white sheets and a dark brown headboard.

We sat down on the perfectly made bed together.

"How are your parents?" Edward asked with concern.

"Actually, they're doing all right. They're really worried about me to. I wouldn't be surprised if they called you."

"They did."

"I think they've had time to prepare for this. Don't get me wrong they are in pain and devastated about Angela, but they knew this would happen, that would they most likely lose both of us. The thought never crossed my mind that I would have to burry my younger sister. I've known my time was limited, sure I've hoped and prayed for a cure, but in the back of my head I knew I would die young. I was prepared to die, but I wasn't prepared for her to die and I don't think she was prepared to go either."

"Angela was so full of life and so very young. I know it seems like you'll never feel better, that you'll never move on. But you will, she would want you to."

I'd heard this before, "Time heals all wounds right?" I asked with disbelief.

"No, time makes us stronger. The pain never really goes away, you just become better at bearing it. Bella you're going to be okay."

"I was helping my mom clean out her closet the other day," my eyes started to fill with tears of the memory, "she had so many clothes, and her room was a disaster. I got mad at her for leaving us with such a mess. I got mad at her and she's dead! What kind of person am I?!"

"Bella, Bella," Edward cooed as he pulled me close to him, "you weren't mad at her, you're mad that she's gone. There's a difference, and if you weren't at all mad then I would be concerned."

"I miss her Edward, I really miss her," I wrapped my arms around my waist trying to hold myself together.

Edward continued to rub my shoulder. There was a soft knock on the door. "Come in," Edward offered.

Carlisle stepped in and walked over to the nightstand near me. He handed a syringe to Edward. I couldn't help myself, I started laughing hysterically.

Edward and Carlisle looked at me with wonder. They probably thought I had finally cracked. I pulled myself together enough to speak, "why is it always needles with you? Has no one introduced you to the magic of pills? You know little caplets that you swallow? Or do you like stabbing people?"

Carlisle cracked a smile, "Sorry, it's all I have on hand. I'll leave it to Edward if you want to use it." Carlisle bent to me and gave me a kiss on the forehead, "sleep well." He left closing the door behind him.

"I don't want it."

"I know, we'll figure it out later."

Edward started working my shoulders with his hands and I reacted how I always did. I took my walls down and started to unwind. This is what I needed: his presence and his touch. A few moments later he had me lying on my stomach on the bed and soft piano music playing in the background. He was kneeling over me on the bed and working his way down my spine. "That feels wonderful," I commented.

"So I've been told."

"You never told me why you weren't able to pursue this as a profession."

"We weren't able to remain inconspicuous, we drew too many clienteles. Female clientele that became attached." Edward was laughing lightly, it was music to my ears. "We started getting mail and phone calls, then one particularly exuberant client found our house- we quickly left that city."

"I'm sure you are missed," I mused.

"I'm sure," Edward pulled back the covers next to me and gave me a little push to roll me over on my back. Then he pulled the covers up around my waist and situated the pillows behind my head. He opened the drawer on the night stand and took out a dark little bottle. Opening the bottle he rubbed a generous amount between his hands.

Edward held his hands right in front of my face and I looked at him curiously. "Take a deep breath in," he said softly. I followed his direction and was rewarded with the wonderful, relaxing scent of lavender.

"That's nice," I said. Edward gently massaged my head, working his way from my temples to the back of my skull. Then he worked his way down my neck wrapping his fingers along my clavicle bones. I laid there for a long time trying to fall asleep.

After a while I just got frustrated, "this isn't working, don't get me wrong I love it, but it's not working. You don't have to keep going."

"It's working just fine. Just relax and enjoy yourself a little. It's okay to find a little joy and peace. Besides, I'm enjoying myself. Your skin is so warm and soft."

I smirked a little at his forwardness, "by all means then, don't let me spoil your fun."

Edward hummed along with the soft music and continued working down my arms. I closed my eyes and tried to relax. I felt him stop a few moments later and wondered what he was doing now. Then I felt something cold and sharp on my arm. By the time I opened my eyes he was already done. Edward met my disoriented look with his lips on mine. I opened my mouth and inhaled his sweet scent and for once Edward did not pull away. He leaned further over me and continued to meld into me.

I cursed him silently as a haze went over my vision and my heart slowed against my desire. I entered sleep with Edward on my mind- a most pleasant way to go.


	34. Cold and Broken Hallelujah

Cold and Broken Hallelujah

The piano softly echoed through the Cullen mansion. The music was slow and melancholy. For the first time in over a week my mind was clear and I felt rested. I stole a glance at the clock that read 11am as I pulled myself out of the soft and warm bed.

I jumped into the shower, the hot water revitalizing me. Once I had dried and dressed I made my way around the room gathering my belongings and cleaning what clutter I had made over the past months.

The good night of sleep had not changed my mind. I still loved Edward. I still loved him too much to drag him through the hell of my death. I still had to cut him loose so he could go on, because a world without Edward held no purpose. I convinced myself that this would set me free to. I didn't want to spend what little time I had left in this rainy town waiting on the reaper.

I wanted to see the world. With my studies done after the Christmas break, I could be free to go to. My cousin in Southern California had already offered a guest room for me for as long as I wanted to stay. I needed some sunshine and Mickey Mouse. From there, well who knows?

There was a soft knock on my door as Alice and Jasper slipped in. Alice looked like she wanted to cry, so I cried for the both of us. "I wish I could change your mind, but I already see we can't. I'll miss you Bella, but I'll keep an eye out for you." Alice embraced me in a hug that I whole heartedly returned. She looked at my luggage questioningly, "Why aren't you taking the outfits I got for you?"

"It just didn't feel right," I replied.

"Bella take them and know that you're always welcome to come back!"

"Thank you Alice; you to Jasper. I'll keep in touch and call." There was no reason for me to ignore them entirely.

They left me to make my final rounds. I set my luggage outside my door and walked down the hallway to the study, the soft piano music still lingering. I walked into the study and was greeted by Esme and Carlisle.

"Last chance" I offered with a smirk knowing he wasn't going to take it.

He shook his head, "No one in this family could live with those repercussions."

I shook my head in turn, maybe it wasn't in his nature to give up, but in any case it was his choice to make.

Carlisle spoke again, "If things change, you are always welcome here. I'd ask you to stay one last time, but Alice tells me it's done."

"It is, but thank you. You've been like a second family to me," I admitted.

"You've been like a daughter to us," Esme said.

"Take care of yourself," Carlisle said as both he and Esme gave me caring hugs.

I made my way out of the study and headed towards the stairs. I didn't see Rosalie or Emmet. It surprised me that Carlisle hadn't passed along my offer to them- surely Rosalie would have taken it? I didn't give it much thought though; I was too busy preparing myself for what lies down those stairs.

I took the steps one by one as the chords of "Hallelujah" filled my ears. The familiar lyrics entered my head: _I've seen your flag on the marble arch; Love is not a victory march; It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

The music faded away as I sat down beside him.

"You think you are leaving for my own good. You think I'll move on and go on without you," Edward spoke.

"I'm leaving for both of us. This sets us free. You get to move on and drift away from me before I'm torn from you and I get to really _live_ the time I have left. I don't want to be tied down." It was the best act I had ever put up. I silently prayed that Edward was not able to read me.

My prayers were answered; I think. "I love you, you are my life," he said simply.

"I love you to Edward, but it's not enough" to save us. It's not enough to keep me alive. I love you too much to stay.

He nodded and gave me one last kiss to seal our now separate fates.

"Don't do anything reckless."

I walked out of the Cullen mansion and did not turn back.

**Author's Note: I wanted to take a moment to say thank you for all the reviews and support. I would never had made it this far without you! This is officially the longest work I have ever written at 120 pages in word (take that Thesis!). On a side note, I try to keep the medical stuff as accurate as I can, if it's not blame Grey's Anatomy and Wikipedia! Things will start looking up, so keep holding on.**

** -184**


	35. All She Ever Wanted

All She Ever Wanted

I went back home and back to school to finish out my classes before the winter break. I would graduate for my parents' sake, I think it somehow gave them closure.

Christmas was hard. But we still celebrated it.

After the New Year I packed my bags and headed to Seattle to catch my flight down to California. I was ready for a change in scenery and some sunshine. I headed to Seattle early in the day even though my flight wasn't until that night. After taking a stroll through Pikes Place and the Public Market I made my way up the street to a rather large mall.

The store that caught my eye was the Nordstrom flagship branch. Five stories of shopping, I'm sure this was one of Alice's favorite places. I took my time strolling the floors when an unexpected blonde beauty caught my eye.

"Rosalie?"

"Bella! What are you doing here, how have you been?" she asked with little excitement.

"Just burning some time before my flight to California," I replied.

Emmet came up behind Rosalie and saw me immediately, "Bella Bo! I missed you," Emmet pulled me off my feet and swung me around.

"I was sad I didn't get to say good bye to you before," I commented.

"We've been in the process of moving out; we're going to live on our own for a while. A twenty-third honeymoon if you will," Rosalie explained.

"I wondered if Carlisle would take my offer, but I admit that I was surprised that you did not."

They looked at me confused confirming my suspicions that they did not know. I fully respected Carlisle and his decision but I also thought they deserved the opportunity. Rosalie and Emmet had no special abilities and were not particularly noticeable. They should have this chance. I knew Rosalie's story and I thought that she deserved this and well Emmet- who doesn't love Emmet? Maybe this was a way that I could pay back the Cullens after all.

"We need to talk" I said, "do you have somewhere private we can go?"

"Yeah, we're staying at the Hilton downtown," Emmet offered.

I followed them out to the familiar jeep parked on the street. I still had seven hours before my flight, plenty of time especially if they would drive me to the airport rather than me taking the monorail.

I told them everything: how my blood could make them human again. I explained that the rest of their family had declined the offer and why. They understood but by the look in Rosalie's eyes she was willing to take me up on the offer and Emmet was following her.

"Bella this is everything we have ever wanted. We'll be able to have a family and live normal lives. Are you sure it would be safe for you, what if the blood lust takes over?" Rosalie worried.

"It's not possible. It will only take a pint or two at most of blood and you'll have to stop. If what happened with Angela is any indication, the affect should be fairly instantaneous."

Rosalie looked to Emmet to which he responded, "I want it to, baby."

She nodded, "are you sure we won't hurt you Bella?"

"I'll be a little tired, I'm sure. You'll need to staunch the bleeding. But I heal fast, just help me get to the airport so I don't miss my flight. How do you want to do this?"

Rosalie reached out for my hand and I took a deep breath giving it to her. Before I had a chance to fear she had sunk her teeth into my wrist. I flinched a little at the shock of it but kept my head. It was a strong internal pulling sensation that wracked through my arm. Instinctually I pulled away as I felt my heart falter a beat with the blood being drained from it so strongly.

It really only took Rose maybe twenty seconds before she had to stop. She managed to seal the wound on my wrist before releasing my arm falling to the floor curled up in pain. I knelt down beside her half in worry and half in exhaustion. Had something gone wrong?

A few moments later Emmet looked at her in shock as she uncurled herself slowly and took a few deep breaths. She immediately looked different- still beautiful, but now human. There was color in her cheeks and her eyes- they were blue! Her skin no longer looked white but now a lovely peach. It had worked.

We all stood up together as Rosalie flexed her fingers and rested her hand over her now beating heart. She was just quiet for a few moments, I'm sure all the human sensations rushing back to her were overwhelming.

I took the moment to do a personal recon. I felt a little light headed, but alright. No blood remained on my arm, just a pair of light silver crescent bite marks. I flexed my fingers to make sure there wasn't any damage, though I really didn't think there was.

"Rose?" Emmet took her warm hand gently.

She looked up at him with an expression I'm not sure I've ever seen. In movies people pretend to be so happy that they cry. I always found it fake, who cries at joy? Rosalie did, and it was absolutely genuine. It seemed fitting: Rosalie had died in tears of pain and devastation. Now she cried tears of joy and hope.

"I love you," is what she replied to Emmet. I felt as if I were intruding on a private moment. Emmet pulled her into a chastise kiss only to push her away suddenly.

"W-Wow, ok we need to fix that. You smell good and not in a good way. Let's not undo Bella's work," Emmet stuttered. "Bella sweets, you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm good," I played.

"Can you do it one more time?" he asked.

It would have been smart to give myself a few days or even just a few hours to recoup, but I was feeling cocky. "Yes, let's do it."

"I'm not as restrained as Rosalie and I plan to make this my final act as a Vampire," he gave a fierce grin. In that moment, for the first time, I was afraid of Emmet. I always knew he could be terrifying if he set his mind to it and I was not at all wrong.

Emmet flew behind me in an instant and wrapped his massive arms around my torso. I tensed and froze in fear. His teeth sunk into my neck, but thankfully he didn't rip or tear at my delicate flesh. The pulling sensation wracked through my neck and chest as my heart immediately followed his draws. With every pull of blood he took my heart stuttered.

Emmet released me after maybe just ten seconds and I collapsed to the ground with him. Emmet started moving beside me and Rosalie reached down to help him up first. Then they both reached down for me. They put me on my feet, but I knew right away I wasn't going to be able to stand.

"Bed," I managed to whimper out. They quickly laid me down and tried to make me comfortable. I was exhausted and was having a hard time staying awake. My heart was racing through the tiredness and I felt suddenly cold.

There was a shrill cell phone ringing somewhere in the room. I saw Rosalie stand up to find it through the haze. Emmet started covering me in blankets, I guess I was shivering. "Bella? Bella? Can you hear me?" he sounded so worried. I nodded a little in response. My heart was still racing.

Rosalie ran back over with the phone, "Alice," she interrupted the ranting voice that now broadcasted on speaker, "is Carlisle there?"

"Of course he's here, she'll be fine, but no thanks to you!"

"Carlisle, need you," Emmet said with urgency.

"I'm here Emmet, is she still bleeding?" he asked, his voice steady.

Emmet took a quick look at my wrist and then gently turned my head to look at my neck where he had bit me. "No, she's not bleeding anymore. We staunched the bleeding with the venom before we stopped. She's shaking Carlisle, but I've got her covered in blankets."

"Is she conscious?"

"Barley, she's not speaking but she nodded to me a few moments ago," Emmet replied.

"Since you can't hear her heart anymore, I need you to find her radial pulse, it's on her wrist. Can you do that?" Carlisle instructed.

Emmet pulled back a blanket to take out my arm as my eyes closed and exhaustion set in. He felt around my wrist then answered frantically, "I can't find it! She's still breathing though, Carlisle?"

"It's okay Emmet, it just means her blood pressure is low, that's why I had you check there. Try on her neck and tell me when you've found it."

Emmet's warm, massive hand moved to my neck and almost immediately, "got it."

That was the last thing I heard before fading into the darkness. My soul was happy. I had finally given back to the family who had given so much for me.


	36. California

California

I woke up in the hotel room and quickly glanced around for a clock. I found one on my other side that read 5:42pm. Relief washed over me, I hadn't missed my 8:30 flight. I quickly sat up and pushed the blankets back.

"Carlisle said to take it easy," Emmet grumbled as he walked over to me.

Rosalie followed behind him, "how are you feeling," she asked as she took my hand.

"A little groggy but fine, actually I'm a little hungry," my eyes caught sight of the massive amount of food they had spread out over a dining type table. "Wow, that's allot of food."

"We haven't eaten in over eighty years! You have ice cream, chocolate and cheese! And steak and bacon!" Emmet exclaimed.

"But most people don't eat all those items together," I pointed out as I stood up from the bed taking his hand. "Save anything for me?"

"Take whatever you want," Rosalie offered with a laugh.

I pulled up a chair and opted for a half eaten meat lover's pizza. "So how does it feel?" I asked them.

"Overwhelming," Rosalie admitted. "The sensations are so different, so dull, but it's nice not to hear the beating of every heart in the room or be repulsed by the dead and baked animal," she pointed out as I took a big bite of the pizza. I gave her a look that said _thanks for grossing me out while I'm trying to eat._ "The warmth is wonderful, I never felt cold as a vampire, but now I feel warm. I don't know how we will ever be able to thank you enough for this Bella."

"This was supposed to be my thanks to your family, Rosalie. We're even now." She shook her head in disagreement. "I wish I could have talked the rest of your family into it. You deserve a full and happy life- with twenty children," I added.

"And now we'll get it," Emmet said. "I wish the rest would join us to, but I understand the concern and heck we will pay royally for this if we haven't been disowned already. They may never speak to us again. But it's a price I would pay for this. No more pretending, no more high school, no more rainy states."

"This changes everything for us now," Rosalie still had that over the top glowing happy look. It did change everything for her.

As a vampire she was bitter and short tempered; mean and unhappy with her lot. That was never who she really was. She was supposed to be human. Carlisle might have stopped her death in an alley many years ago, but I just saved her life. I admit, it felt good to be responsible for this. To be able to give them the true happy ending they deserved. At least somebody was getting a happy ending.

* * *

I got on that plane bound for Orange County, California and I ran away from my problems. Far, far away from the death, gloom and misery, I ran.

I can't say it didn't feel good, the next morning when I awoke to a sunny sky. Shanna, my cousin, had set up a guest room for me at her house in Newport Beach. Shanna was thirty-five (though she only looked twenty) and married to an independent film director. She had held off on having kids, waiting to see what would happen with the sickness. I couldn't blame her. She had stopped shifting five years ago.

Time passed much faster here, away from the pain and death. But I soon found new pains to dwell on. I missed Edward. I wondered what he was doing, how he was doing. I refrained from calling Alice, because I feared it would only upset him when he found out, which of course he would.

I tried to keep myself distracted. I hit all the hot spots: LA, Disneyland, the beach. Every day was a new adventure. Two months later, I still found new things to do.

Tonight I was walking through The Block, an outdoor shopping center- who would have thought that you could shop outdoors at night in the so called winter- only in California. I took my time strolling back out to Shanna's car; that was a down side, parking was always a hassle here. I didn't take notice of the new, oversize dark SUV that had parked next to my car. It would have looked out of place in Washington, but here all the cars were stylish and many were large. I didn't give it a second thought.

I clicked the key and saw the lights flash on the little Civic. I threw my bags in the trunk and made my way around to the driver's side. That's when the door to the SUV was thrown open and cold hands dragged me inside.

I never saw my attackers but I recognized the scent, and they weren't any of the Cullens. I was stabbed in the leg and forced into darkness immediately.

**Author's Note: You are awesome. Yes, you! Thank you for all the reviews! Can you guess who has Bella- ohh I bet you can!**


	37. The Arrangement

The Arrangement

I was starving. Absolutely ravished. I hadn't been this hungry since those first days with the Cullens. How long had I been out?

True to form, I took a moment to try to figure out my surroundings before opening my eyes. The air smelled musty and old, the bed I was lying on was hard and the blankets were coarse.

I opened my eyes slowly and was greeted with gloom. A few candles flickered around the room that was oddly Victorian style. There was an old looking dresser that had been restored, several oversize mirrors and paintings. The walls themselves where made of stone and large grey bricks.

The door was suddenly thrown open and a vampire who looked more like a boy entered. He tossed a large platter on a table in the far corner of the room away from me as I sat up in the bed. I pulled the covers around me defensively and realizing I wasn't decently dressed.

"Eat. Then put on the red dress, your presence will be required in the main hall in an hour. I suggest you hurry." He was attractive and his voice alluring, but his eyes were blood red. Definitely not a Cullen.

The door slammed behind him as he walked out. I got out of bed and went over to the food dressed only in a slinky nightgown. I dug in to the cheap sandwich meat and slightly stale bread. It ran out long before I was satisfied.

The room was still dark. I picked one of the lit candles and searched around for other candles that hadn't been lit. I found five or six more that brought more light into this medieval like chamber. The light helped, but the room was still cool and damp.

I sat myself back down on the bed to think. I had no idea where I was, but some instinct told me I wasn't in Southern California anymore. This building was too old. Like old before the discovery of America old. With how hungry I was, I'd easily been out for days._ Crap_. I'm out of the country.

So vampires have me, but haven't killed me yet. More than one, enough to orchestrate my kidnapping back in California. They are powerful, to be able to get me out of the country. Things are not looking good. I quickly gave myself the once over in the mirror, there were no new bite marks. They'd know I was different by my scent alone, but they most likely didn't know exactly what I was.

I came to the conclusion that escape at this very moment was unlikely; rescue, well maybe. If Alice has seen this, and if there are more Cullens than the other vampires, or maybe I can talk my way out of this? For now, I decided I needed to play along to better gauge my circumstances.

I walked over to the closet and quickly found the one red dress. This was going to be interesting. The skirt was huge and ruffled with lace, the top was small and strapless. I turned it around to glance at the back and saw the lace up like a corset.

I found the necessary under pieces in the dresser: bloomers included. Then I pulled that sucker on. I pulled at the lace in the back as best I could, getting it tight and secure. I rolled my hair up and secured it with some pins I found.

Not two minutes later the door was swung open and the familiar vampire boy appeared again. He nodded for me to follow him, so I did. The hallways were dark and dreary and the stairs narrow and steep. There was light at the end of the tunnel though. We entered a large open, oval shaped room with throne like chairs situated at the far end. There were many vampires here. They were more than the Cullens and all very formidable looking vampires.

"Welcome to Voltera, dear Bella," a handsome dark haired vampire announced as I walked into the room. "I am Aro and these are Caius and Marcus," he introduced.

"Why have you taken me?" I yelled.

"Ohh, you are feisty. Did you honestly think that your little stunt would go unnoticed? That we do not watch the other covens? Especially one as large as the Cullens? How naive and young you are."

"My stunt? What are you talking about?" I had to find out how much they knew so I wouldn't give information away.

"Don't play coy with us!" Caius sneered.

I bit my lower lip and rolled my eyes. My brain was clicking and I realized they wanted me alive- for whatever reason. Information might be the key to my survival or the key time at least.

"Imagine my surprise to find out two of the Cullen coven are a little more, well lively than the last time we saw them," Aro replied.

They knew about Rosalie and Emmet. "Why do you care?"

Aro's eyebrows furrowed as he spoke slowly, "I'm afraid we can't allow someone like you to exist. You are a threat to our kind. You and your entire tribe are a threat that must be eliminated."

I bowed my head as his words sunk in. _Damn._ "No! No! You can't! We're no threat to you! They are innocent people, innocent girls!"

"We cannot allow such poison to walk the Earth, so tempting and alluring. But perhaps we can come to an arrangement?"

I looked to Aro in question, what could I possibly have to offer?

"You see," he began, "I am what you would call a collector of rarities. You, dear Bella, are a rarity. I took the liberty of searching your soul when you first arrived and learned all there is to know about your tribe. The black accented mermaids, which is the vast majority of your population are little threat to us, and hold no interest to me really. I will turn a blind eye to their existence on a few conditions."

I looked up to him wondering what his demands would be.

"I want every gold and silver mermaid, no exceptions. When they are discovered they will be brought here and live their lives in my service and will therefore be unable to threaten our kind. The sacrifice of few will save the lives of many."

"You know I am the only one," I said.

"For now, but there will be others," he was sure.

"We're dying! Just let me go in peace. Let us go in peace, we won't walk this Earth much longer anyways, why does it matter?" I pleaded.

"So very young," Aro tisked, "You see my dear, I have lived thousands of years. I have seen many plagues that have threatened to kill all of humanity. And yet, they never do, some will always survive. Those that survive become stronger and multiply. Your generation is perhaps lost, but another will come. I am offering my grace to them in trade for your word as their chief."

"My father is the chief."

"You wish for me to bring him here? No, I imagine not. You, Bella, are the one I make this pact with. And only you. What say you?"

"If it was just me, I would agree. But you would have me condemn others to this fate," I spoke my thoughts aloud.

"It is this or death," Aro said plainly.

"Besides if you believe all your kind will die anyways, what does it matter," Caius pointed out.

I did what any good leader does, I sacrificed the lives of the few for the welfare of the many. "I accept your terms."


	38. When I Lost It

**Author's Notes: I normally try to avoid excessive notes, so you can just read and enjoy. But in this case it's necessary. The next two chapters Bella's well, a little nuts. And since we're in her head, it will sound scatterbrained. It's intentional, the next chapter is worse! And I'll post it soon. (Sooner if you leave a review- LOL!) Thanks!!**

When I Lost It

I had no idea what I had gotten myself into. I'd like to think if I had it to do all over again, I still would have sacrificed myself for the tribe. But I'm not sure anymore. I'm not sure of anything anymore.

My thoughts have been scattered, my brain fried. The room has become darker, though they bring in more candles and even brought me a lamp. My eyes are constantly bothering me and I can't see quite straight. The nightmares come every night now. Though it's possible I haven't been sleeping at all, so how could I have nightmares?

I shook my head, trying to clear the haze and confusion. I was losing my mind. I'd always been a little different growing up, I liked to read books more than playing with Barbie dolls. But I was never crazy- I never heard voices or saw things that weren't there. Not like now.

"Pull it together Bella!" I scolded myself out loud. When did this start you ask? A while ago, I don't really know how many days, maybe even weeks. I remember the first couple times quite vividly, the more recent ones have blurred together.

Ohh yes, I remember the first time I was called to the throne room after I agreed to stay here. It was the day I discovered my true purpose here in Volterra. They had me put on that red dress again and stood me behind Aro. I watched as a trial of sorts unfolded before me. A nomad vampire was pleading before Aro for mercy and leniency. Something told me Aro was not the merciful type.

"I believe you are truly repentant, and I will forgive this infringement," Aro said. That had surprised me. "In fact, I see you having been eying the beautiful Bella here. Your eyes are pitch black you must be starving, would you like her?"

The nomad was thrown off by Aro's sudden generosity but gladly accepted it, much to my dismay. I was pushed forward toward the nomad. His cold hard hands wrapped around me as I struggled uselessly. This was nothing like how Emmet had taken me. The nomad's teeth ripped and tore into my neck, I could feel the massive amount of venom he poured into me. I cried and screamed but the Volturi just watched on in curiosity.

When the nomad finally stopped I crawled away from them, and sat up against a far wall trying to stop the bleeding. I watched as the nomad transformed. He rose to his feet disoriented and confused. Aro, Cauis and Marcus stood from their thrones to examine my work.

"It is true," Cauis admitted.

"You had doubts," Aro asked.

"No, but to actually see such a thing. Well, it is amazing isn't it?"

"It is quite amusing," Aro said.

"What is going on, what have you done?" the nomad blurted out, my blood staining his face.

"You didn't really think you were forgiven did you? The Volturi do not make exceptions."

"Interesting as this is," Marcus spoke for the first time, "what do we do with him now?"

"Waste not, want not," Aro replied as he tilted his head toward the boyish vampire that had escorted me around, Alec I had come to know his name later. Alec approached the nomad and sank his teeth in, drinking him dry amidst his piercing screams.

It was a scene that was replayed time and time again since I had been here. I was their preferred method of execution. Even when they brought in a batch of five newborns, it was me who turned them all back to human before they were bitten for the second and last time. Aro had figured out that I needed time to recoup and heal, but he also knew I healed fast. They pushed my limits. The Volturi simply stored the prisoners for several days before executing them. They became more creative as time passed, not always feeding immediately.

Aro explained to me once before a trial that they prided themselves on treating their human food 'humanely'. The kill was swift and pain quickly over. With the re-turned vampires they showed no such mercy. They were able to play out their darkest fantasies. Blood curing cries of those that had tasted my blood filled the Volturi palace.

Though I don't think that's what actually drove me crazy. No, I know when it started. It was the last vampire of the newborn army from America that threw me over the edge. After he had bit me I crawled away to my familiar corner. They had put a pillow there for me to sit on, it's where I spent most of my days, like a pet to them. With my eyes pinched shut and tears streaming down my face, I heard his voice. The most beautiful sound here in the darkest of all places.

His long lost sweet voice, "Bella, love, I've missed you my sweet princess of the sea," Edward crooned to me. I lifted my eyes and looked around, but Edward was not there.

Another night passed and more newborns were brought in. A pattern arose, every time I was bitten, I would hear Edward's voice afterwards. He would talk to me in the softest melodies and I would just curl myself in that corner listening to him until I was dragged out of the hall to my chamber. Days later I saw him for the first time. His tousled copper hair, his golden eyes and strong jaw line.

I think that was the day I fell off the edge. That was when I realized I had lost it.


	39. Fantasies

**Author's Note: Updated to correct some grammatical errors (sorry!) Okay, remember Bella is getting crazier, so it still sounds a little scatterbrained. There is light at the end of the tunnel though. Thanks for reading and reviewing!!**

Fantasies

I was sitting in my corner, trying to read a book they had given to me. Aro would show me random kindness every once in a while. A hot meal here a bath there, and most recently a book: _Pride and Prejudice._ The book made me happy as I sat there trying to read it, but I struggled with it so much trying to keep the letters from moving on the page or blurring beyond recognition. It made me nervous that my sight was failing, along with my mind. Even when I could see the words, the sentences didn't always make sense.

I reached down and felt the pillow beneath me, then played with the hem of my dress a little. I was hungry but I decided to pick up my book again. I wondered how long it had been since I last shifted? That couldn't be good for me either, my gills burned as they dried from lack of use. I was too young to stop shifting; I was too young to drink, rent a car or join the army too. I giggled a little quietly to myself.

Then I felt their eyes on me and I cowered further into my corner, looking around the room frantically but never making eye contact. I hoped I was done for the day, I had been fed on twice already during this day. But I liked working the days compared to the nights. It was harder to read in my corner at night, like it was now, maybe I would be done soon. The Volturi worked all hours, I was only in the throne room for many of those. I picked back up my book, still only one chapter in.

A guard member entered the otherwise quiet chamber and approached Aro, Caius and Marcus. I watched his feet scamper across the marble floor. The floor was a pretty thing to: black and white and grey. I wondered if it was really made of marbles? I stealthy reached my hand beyond my pillow and felt the cold hard floor. Didn't feel like marbles, but maybe it was just one very large marble. Yes, I smiled to myself at my conclusion and solving the mystery.

"Bella dear, would you come here for a moment?" Aro asked.

I whimpered a little but rose from my seat none the less. As I approached his throne I bit my lower lip that was raw and sore. I looked to his hand and noticed a rather fancy ring, Aro was married? I wondered how they met?

"Bella we are about to have some familiar visitors, you will stay in your place until I instruct you otherwise." I nodded to him but he did not motion me away. "Jane, your scarf please?" Aro took Jane's scarf and wrapped it around my neck hiding the bite marks. This made me nervous, Jane didn't really like me anyways even though I thought her hair was pretty. The scarf was red and it looked nice with my black casual dress I was wearing. And it made my neck warm, that was nice too.

Aro nodded for me to go back to my corner, so I did. I picked back up the book thumbing through a few pages before finding the one I had strategically folded before I put the book down. I squished my eyes closed as they started to burn once more as I waited for the pain to pass before trying to read.

The door opened and I heard his voice again. I just heard him a couple hours ago, but I would never complain when Edward decided to visit me so I just smiled to myself a little and opened my eyes to try to focus on the words before me.

"I demand you set her free," he said. So sweet and silly, my Edward was.

"You do not have the authority to demand anything from me boy," Aro scolded.

"Edward," another voice spoke. I looked up quickly still not making eye contact and scanned in their direction for only an instant before returning to my book. I saw Edward. That was typical enough, but beside him were Carlisle and Alice. Hmm, haven't seen them before, but if they want to join in the party why not? Alice always did like parties. I smiled to myself a little at the addition to my fantasies.

I pretended to read my book but listened intently to my make believe conversation that was happening between the Cullens and Aro. I wasn't very good at acting though, I hoped they would think I was still reading.

"Aro, old friend. It has been too long. Bella is a friend of our family, might I ask what she has done to deserve such punishment?" Carlisle asked.

"This is not a punishment, but an arrangement we agreed upon. Isn't that right Bella?"

Did Aro just ask me? Strange. I nodded my head up and down, "Yes, yes, we agreed." I was proud of that for some reason; I was saving people somewhere, somehow.

"Might I enquire the terms of your arrangement then," Carlisle asked politely. He was a very formal man.

"Of course, it is no secret. I have agreed to allow her people to live in peace indefinitely so long as I acquire every gold and silver mermaid born. I could not turn a blind eye to the threat they could pose against us if they were ever harnessed by an enemy. Surely you understand," Aro explained.

"Surely you do not feel threatened by such a creature," Edward retorted.

"Threatened is a harsh word, I prefer cautious. I know what her and her people are capable of, this was a necessary precaution. Though, since you and Bella are so close, Edward, I am willing to offer you a place in my guard. Your talent could be very useful and I would allow you time with Bella. Alice would be most welcome as well along with her mate. Carlisle you know you have always been welcome to return as well."

"That is very gracious Aro, but you know we value our lifestyle and family. And we value Bella's freedom," Carlisle said. "Will you not reconsider setting her free of this arrangement? I ask as a personal favor."

"It saddens me that I am unable to grant this to you old friend," Aro replied.

"Perhaps a better knowledge would change your mind," Alice chimed in. "I have seen the path you are on, and I can tell you it does not end well for you. I am willing to show you."

I could hear the light tap of feet as Aro walked to Alice and began to read her. "You see Aro, you are right after all," Edward proclaimed. "Bella's people do survive this and become stronger, you can't stop that. Not without breaking your own precious laws of secrecy. You keep Bella and they will exact their revenge for all eternity, hiding amongst your very food supply. You would eat in fear for the rest of your time, which as you can see is currently finite. But if you let her go, and release her from your agreement, you go on much as you always have."

There was silence in the chamber for a few moments before Aro spoke again, "Bella you may go, our agreement is void. But if I ever hear of your people plotting against us we will eliminate you- laws can be temporarily overlooked for the greater good. We will be watching you, now leave."

I giggled a little at my fantasy, I always gave myself a happy ending.

"Bella," Edward called out to me, still lingering in my mind. I looked down to my book and wondered if it ended happily? I quickly flipped through the pages to the end to find out for sure. His feet were suddenly in front of me and I looked up to see his handsome face briefly before returning to my book. I liked it when Edward got this close to me. Then he knelt down to my eye level removing the book from my hands.

I gave him a slight pout, normally Edward didn't interfere with my reading. "Bella, let's go home. Come with me?" He held out his hand to me. I looked at his hand and recognized it, of course it was Edward's. But what if it wasn't and the vampire in front of me was another newborn that was going to bite me?

That's when his hand grabbed a hold of mine. I immediately pulled and thrashed away from him and screamed waiting for the teeth to sink in. But the strangest of things happened then. He let go. He didn't bite. He just waited there quietly until I calmed down. I sat there fidgeting with the hem of my dress for a while before he spoke to me again.

"Come on Bella, let's leave before they change their mind, trust me."

I stole a glance at his eyes, but quickly looked away. On a whim I rose to my feet and followed Edward out of the hall. I knew I would pay handsomely for walking out on Aro, but I wasn't quite ready for Edward to leave me yet.


	40. I'm Yours

I'm Yours

I made it all the way out to the car and no one followed me. I hesitated before getting into the oversize SUV backseat. It was a big car, anything could be in there. I envisioned a dozen Volturi guard piling in there like the clowns at the circus did, but there would be nothing funny about twelve guards in that SUV. Edward opened the door for me and I looked around inside suspiciously before getting in.

I buckled up and looked all around the fancy car, my eyes never settling. Carlisle got in the driver's seat and Alice must have called shotgun- damn! Why didn't I think of that! Edward got in the back seat with me- well that was a win.

He looked so concerned, but then I looked up front when the car roared to life. Then I gazed out the window as the city zoomed by.

"Bella, will you talk to me? Are you alright?" Edward asked.

I looked at him a little confused, this was the longest he had ever stayed with me, and Alice and Carlisle were still there to. And I had never left Voltera in my fantasies before.

"Yes Bella, it's really me, it's really us. You're going home."

I don't know why but I believed him. I guess it made sense, but immediately it made me even more scared. It donned on me that Edward would figure out I was crazy. He wouldn't want me if I was crazy. I frantically looked around the car nervously before stopping and looking out the window. It took all my energy to focus on that window and stay quiet. If I spoke he would know I was crazy.

So I stayed quiet and watched the landscape go by. "Edward, she's been through a traumatic experience, give her a little time," Carlisle bailed me out of talking for the rest of the drive. They made phone calls and booked flights while I zoned out and sipped on several bottles of water Alice had provided me with.

When we got to the airport my fear increased two fold. There were so many people running here and there, it was a stressful place. The good news was my head was starting to clear a little, so I was able to rein my unnecessary fears in. It was just an airport after all.

But I still wasn't risking speaking at this point. They would think I was crazy, or at least it would confirm their suspicions.

We made our way to the gate and we had a good hour and half before our flight back to the states it looked like. "Edward, why don't you and Alice go find something for Bella to eat." Edward agreed without much hesitation, I suppose I wasn't good company right now anyways.

As he left Carlisle came over and sat in the seat beside me, "Bella dear," I looked at him briefly but then looked back down at my folded hands. "Bella, please tell me how they hurt you. I won't tell Edward, I can keep it from him, I promise, but I need to know. Did they," he paused awkwardly, "did they touch you?"

I squinted my eyes as they started to burn again and let Carlisle's words sink in. Ohhhh! I shook my head no, the scarf coming loose. Carlisle reached up to my neck and pulled off the scarf. I heard him hiss at the sight of my ravished neck.

"Ohh Bella, I'm so sorry we didn't get here sooner. Ohh dear, it's okay, please don't cry, I can fix it once we get back. Easy, no problem, we'll fix it." I hadn't even realized I had started to cry.

"He's going to know I'm crazy, I've lost it Carlisle," I looked up to his eyes for the first time.

He reached out and held my chin still while he looked more closely into my eyes. "Bella, I don't think you're crazy at all, and that's my professional opinion." That was about when Edward and Alice walked back up and sat on the other side of me. "Alice, do you have a mirror?" Carlisle asked.

"Of course," Alice fished one out and passed it around me to Carlisle. "I think you've had an adverse reaction to the excess amount of venom in your system. It's probably affecting your sight, concentration and cognitive process." Carlisle flipped open the compact. I gasped a little at the sight of my own eyes in the bright light of the terminal. They held an orangeish tint.

"It should burn off naturally, and you'll be fine. Are you having problems with your sight as well?"

"Yeah," I answered closing my eyes and handing him back the compact. Carlisle was right.

"Have you noticed an improvement over the past few hours? I have, you're speaking to us now," Carlisle pointed out.

"Your thoughts are getting clearer, less discombobulated," Edward said.

"You think so," I looked to him questioningly.

"Yes, Bella, you're going to be fine. Eat, it will probably help," Edward said.

I glanced at the McDonalds food sitting on the table in front of me now and saw the pancakes, eggs and variety of breakfast sandwiches.

"Breakfast," I replied with one word and a little smile hit the corner of my lips. Yeah, I was going to be okay.

* * *

We got on the plane early, boarding first class. I eagerly took the window seat and Edward sat beside me, Carlisle and Alice sitting in the row across from us. I was starting to feel back to my old self, it had been almost twenty hours since I was last bit and the massive amount greasy breakfast sandwiches and pancakes I ate made me feel immensely better. I think my body finally had the fuel it needed to burn off the venom still lingering in my system.

A few hours into the flight I decided it was time I started talking to Edward, "I'm sorry." It was a good place to start.

"Bella, don't be, this wasn't your fault. If Rosalie and Emmet hadn't…"

I interrupted him there, "No, don't you blame them. I offered, I knew the possible consequences. I never meant any disrespect by it," I leaned around and glanced over to Carlisle.

"Rosalie and Emmet are adults and can make their own decisions, as can you. I respect that," Carlisle answered.

I looked back to Edward, "how are they by the way?"

"On a honeymoon in Hawaii right now, they're hitting all the sunny spots," Edward had a bitter grin.

"Don't begrudge them their happiness, you of all people know how miserable she was," I raised my eyebrows at him. "This is about me, not them. Thank you for coming for me, I missed you." _I love you and I'm never leaving you again, _I completed the thought in my head.

"I missed you too, I have to ask, are you going to stay or go away again? I don't know if I can handle you going away again. Honestly, I was about to come after you before you were abducted. Then it took us so long to figure out who had you, I think I almost went crazy myself."

"Edward, do you understand why I left?" I asked him.

"You thought it would be best for us, you wanted your freedom, you didn't want to be tied down," he answered solemnly looking down at our hands that had somehow ended up folded together.

With all sincerity I told him the truth, "Edward, look at me. You are, without a doubt, the best possible thing for me, you are the one who set me free." I paused for a moment realizing the significance of what I was about to say, "There is no one else on this Earth that I would rather be tied to than you."

Edward either put the pieces together or finally pulled the answer out of my head, "You left to protect me?"

"I love you, I know my fate, and I couldn't stand hurting you. I still can't stand the thought of it. But the thought of being away from you is worse, that makes me a very selfish and horrible person, Edward. I don't deserve you."

"Bella, the future is uncertain, I know that. All I am asking for is now, it may hurt later, but it would hurt more knowing that I missed out on time that I could have spent with you. I need every moment you can spare."

"I'm yours."

* * *

I dozed off a couple times and ate both Edward's and my airplane lunch as we crossed the Atlantic waters. Mostly, we were just quiet and enjoying each other's company as I leaned against his side. Sitting back in the seat was painful on my chapped gills, so I snuggled against Edward. We landed in New York to catch a connecting flight to Seattle. The Cullens deftly navigated the large airport in record time easily boarding the next plane.

We took similar seats in first class and settled back in for the last leg of our journey home. After the plane took off I found myself a little restless. I was ready to get back somewhere familiar- and maybe sleep for a few days!

I leaned forward and rested my forehead in my hands. My back was aching. Edward reached over and lightly ran his hands up and down my back. When he grazed over my gills I flinched and gasped in pain.

"What," he asked as he yanked the back of my shirt up and blocked the view of other passengers by turning towards me.

"Just dried out, haven't been used," I explained under my breath knowing Edward would hear me.

Edward lowered my shirt back down and turned back facing forward in the seat. I saw Carlisle and Alice gazing over at us across the aisle with concerned looks on their faces. "Is there anything I can do to help," Edward asked.

"No, I don't think so, I just need to borrow your pool when I get back, if you don't mind. Have you guys called my parents and told them I'm okay?"

"Yes, we called them while driving from Volterra to the airport, remember?" Edward said.

"No," I replied quietly.

Edward moved his hand up to my scalp and started massaging through my hair. "You're parents are waiting back at the house. Let me see your eyes," Edward asked.

I glanced up to his deep dark eyes and he gave me that crooked grin gazing back into mine. "Ahhh, all better, want to see?" he offered.

"No, I believe you," I said lazily. I laid my head on Edward's shoulder and faded into sleep.

When I woke up, the plane was landing. We made our way to Carlisle's familiar Mercedes parked in the structure and started the three hour drive home.

"So how did you find me Alice?" I asked.

"Ohh Bella! You were driving me crazy to! I never really saw you're future that great anyways. I kept getting flashes that were connected to you because I'm more in tune with you, but you were so confused and the choices you were making threw me off. I finally did get a vision, but it was years and years into the future. I was looking so hard for you that I finally saw the Volturi."

"What did you see that made Aro agree to release me, to null our agreement?"

"Aro values his power above all else. In the end you were just a toy, a fun thing to him. You didn't hold nearly as much value as the least of his guards. He saw the risk and easily decided it wasn't worth it."

"My people survive this," I put the pieces together with hope returning to my heart for the first time in a long time.

"Yes Bella, not only do they survive, the number of gold and silver mermaids will one day greatly outnumber the black. I can't give you an exact date though I can tell you it will be many years, generations. Yet, the fact that I saw it at all is encouraging for you."

"What she is saying is that you need to come back and live with us again, we could be close to something. Alice having a vision like this means things are changing," Edward said.

I nodded my head, "I want to come back, if you will have me?"

"Yes, of course, things haven't been the same without you," Edward leaned over towards me in the back seat and finally kissed me. It was like I had never left. The memories of Volterra faded and memories of everything that was Edward came flooding back. With each motion of our lips together I remembered all the things I loved about him: his kindness, his devotion, his energy, his love, his family and his sexy messy hair. We both smiled mid way through the kiss as I reached my hand around and tightly thread my fingers in his bronze locks. Then we picked up where we left off.

**Author's note: Alright Bella is back to normal and we are back on course! So, I have an outtake for you! I wrote a little snip it of Alice's mysterious vision. It's interesting and brings more light to exactly why Aro was so willing to let Bella go. I ended up chopping it because it didn't move the story along and I didn't want to shift from Bella's point of view. I'll tell you what, leave me a review letting me know you want to read it or send me a personal message and I'll send it to you. Thanks and happy New Moon on DVD Eve!**


	41. Alice's Vision

**Author's Note: Okay so I decided to just post it because it sounds like you want to read it. It's just a short little excerpt, so not a full chapter. Working on my next post while watching New Moon, happiness is!**

Alice's Vision:

Bella was missing and I just couldn't get a clear picture. It had been like this for more than a week now. Edward was rash and ready to start combing the whole Earth, but I convinced him to wait until I could get a clear image of where she was.

I squinted my eyes and envisioned sweet Bella as I tried to focus on where she was.

_Candlelight filled the dreary room, stone walls, and no windows._ Come on Bella, look at something useful! _Bella curled up on the bed on her side and just started humming to herself._

I opened my eyes in frustration, Edward was there with me and now even more distraught. Then it hit me.

_Their hair was dark, skin lightly tanned. A beautiful group of young ladies browsed the street of a quaint little Italian town, Voltera. They entered inner most city at night intentionally staging themselves to be caught by a lurking evil. They played struggling and screaming for help, alike all other victims of the Volturi. When they reached the throne room, none of the guard nor Aro, Cauis and Marcus himself was able to resist them. In a matter of minutes more than half of the Volturi were destroyed, the rest were left to attempt escape as the prey they once hunted. _

This was the vision I took to Aro. In the few moments he took to read it, he tried to alter it. He tried to anticipate it, but it always ended the same. One way or another, the mermaids got to them. Out of curiosity, he switched his decision to keep Bella and watched as a new future unfolded, one that looked much like the way his existence was today. He stuck with that decision because as much as he valued his power, Aro feared change as well. He wasn't one to die in the attack of the first vision, he was one left human, and that he found unfathomable.

When Aro made his choice to set Bella free, everything shifted again. I tried to hold onto the vision of the future, to see if Bella would survive the sickness, but it quickly faded beyond my reach.

_Edward and Bella were riding in the back seat of Carlisle's car. Edward reached over and gently pulled Bella into a kiss. He seemed to be holding back so many emotions: fear, anxiety, and mostly desire. Edward gave himself to Bella as she gave herself to him. You could almost see their souls intertwine in this simple poetic kiss as Bella reached up to weave her hands through Edward's hair. They both smiled, with devotion in their eyes. _

Well at least I got that much.


	42. Healing

Author's note: Just updated to correct a few minor spelling errors, sorry. Thanks for reading and reviewing (and pointing out when I make mistakes!) -184

Healing

My parents were thrilled to see me and offered to take me back home. I declined and stuck with my decision to stay with Edward. I loved my parents, but Edward was the love of my life and I wanted to spend every moment I had left with him. They understood and I would see them for the weekend.

As soon as they headed out I went up to my old room and found all my old stuff, like I never left. "Hope you didn't mind Bella," Esme stood behind me, "Alice gave me a heads up and I thought it might make it easier for you to have everything back the way it was. We missed you."

"I missed you guys too Esme, thank you."

I ran into the bathroom and quickly stripped and grabbed a bathrobe. I walked down the two sets of stairs and when I opened the door to the basement pool, Edward was there in the corner sitting on a beach chair reading a book.

He put the book down as I approached the shallow end of the pool. I didn't particularly want to soak the bathrobe by taking it in the pool with me. I had expected to be able to do this alone or that Edward would give me some privacy. While I was debating my options he snuck up behind me.

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked sorrowfully.

"N-No!" I blurted out, "I want you to stay, I just, umm can you turn around while I get in the pool?"

"Of course," Edward walked back away and I glanced over my shoulder to see he was facing the outside window. The afternoon was late and the sun was setting over the hills. I slipped out of the robe and waded down into the pleasantly warm water. My back was to Edward as I took a deep breath and shifted.

Only I didn't. I tried again, with no success. I lifted my hand up to my head and fisted my fingers in my hair. I needed to shift, my gills were dried, my muscles ached and I just knew if I could get back in my mermaid form I would feel better.

"Is everything alright Bella," Edward asked.

"Just give me a few moments," I requested. He did, he waited patiently while I tried again and again and failed only more.

"Bella?"

"Edward," I replied with annoyance.

"I'll leave, I'm sorry," he mumbled and I could hear him start to shuffle towards the door behind me.

"No, wait. I'm sorry, I'm just having a tough time. I've been so wound tight that it's making it harder than it normally is. Is Jasper around?"

"He went hunting with Alice when we got back, if you want to wait, he'll be back in an hour or so."

It would be even more frustrating to have to wait. I crossed my arms in front of me. "I can't wait that long."

"Can I get in the pool with you?"

"Uhhh, hmm, sure, why not? It's your pool after all," I said nervously.

"What, you never been skinny dipping with friends before?" he taunted.

I smiled a little as I heard him wade in behind me, "Yes, I have, but it was in the ocean and it was dark. Besides you are beyond a friend to me."

"We can do dark," Edward said as I heard a light beep sound and blinds started to lower over the large windows. Remote control binds, only in the Cullen house! When the blinds finished lowering there was only a very soft glow in the room. I tried to steady my uneven breathing.

I shivered a little as he stepped up behind me, my back pressed into his cool chest. It felt amazing as I unraveled to his closeness. Edward softly reached his hands around my sides and rested his open palms on my abdomen as I kept my arms crossed over my chest.

"There's no rush here Bella, no worry, no fear. Just you and me. Talk to me, tell me what happened, it sometimes helps to share these things."

I needed to talk to someone- really talk to them. "You know the arrangement Aro offered me, I didn't have much choice."

"No, you didn't have _any_ choice."

"I became the preferred method of execution for those that had broken your law. Mostly newborns, who had no control, they would bring me in to be fed upon, turning the vampire back to human. At first they would just then kill them, eat them. As time wore on they became bored with that so they would torture them."

"Then the venom started getting to me, but I didn't understand. I was just confused. When it was at its worst, I would see you. That's why when you came I didn't think you were really there. I thought I was going to die, a couple times I hoped I would," I admitted.

I reached my hand up to my mutilated neck and felt the drastic unevenness of the skin as it puckered and lumped from the bites. "You survived, not only physically but mentally too. Just give yourself some time to heal, but I think that this is where it has to start. Right here in this pool. You have to take your guard down make yourself vulnerable even though you are afraid to. It's not only how we move on and heal, it's also how you become stronger. There is significance in that Bella, when you become a mermaid you become stronger, faster, and more powerful. Granted it exposes you to risk but it also completes you."

I took in all of Edward's words, he was right, I needed to take my guard down. I was safe here; I needed to make myself venerable in order to make myself stronger. Edward just stood there behind me quietly and waited. I took slow deep breaths and imagined removing my defenses one by one. They were not needed here, so I lowered them.

With one last breath of fresh air I finally shifted back into my mermaid form. Relief washed over me. Edward let go of me and I stretched as best as I could taking in a long deep breath of the salty water. We swam around the pool for hours as the afternoon glow gave way to the complete darkness of night.

* * *

I awoke the next morning, or maybe I should say mid-day, in the most wonderful bed covered in soft blankets and surrounded by pillows. The sweet scent of Edward lingered in the room. He was there sitting by the window and gave me a crooked smile.

"How do you feel?" he asked kindly.

"Like me again, thank you. So what's the plan for today?"

"Well, it's up to you. I'd like to have Carlisle do a full check to make sure all the venom is out of your system and that you're okay. He also acquired all he needed last night after his shift to complete the repair of your neck. But if you're not ready for all that, we'll wait. The healing needs to be on your time."

"More than anything, I want to put this all behind me and move on. I think I'll have a hard time doing that for as long as I have to look in the mirror and see my neck. If Carlisle is willing, bless his heart, to help me today, then yes, let's do it."

"Good answer," Edward approved as he stood up, "get dressed and meet us in the exam room, no breakfast."

"You're kidding," I pleaded.

"Nope, we'll explain whatever you want when you get in there."

I nodded as he left me. I went through my morning motions and ignored my grumbling stomach. I looked into the mirror at my scarred neck for the last time, most of the damage was on my left side. It was an interesting fact I had learned: vampires bite according to what hand they write with, so a right handed vampire will normally lean to their right, biting the left side of the victim's neck. Information I would have been happy to never have learned. Tying my hair back, I walked down the hall toward the exam room but hesitated a few steps away from that open door.

The memories of my time in Voltera were suddenly overshadowed by my memories of Angela. She spent her last moments in that room and before that she spent hours fighting a horrible, grueling battle in there. My hand went up to the wall as I leaned against it. The pain was still so near. Ever since that fateful day in Port Angeles, my life has been filled with extremes: tragedy and death; pain and torture but I also found love and passion; healing and hope.

I was up for the good stuff, it was my turn; the healing, love and hope all lay beyond that door. So into that room I walked. I tried not to look around but instead focused on Carlisle and Edward.

"Hop on up here Bella," Carlisle smiled and patted on the hospital bed. I obliged without much pause. "Were you able to shift last night?" he asked as he walked around the bed to the other side to stand behind me.

"Yeah, I did, and I got a good night's sleep. I feel allot better actually."

"Good," he sounded genuinely happy. "I'm just going to take a quick look," he lifted up the back of my shirt and ran his fingers over the openings, gently pulling here and there. On the plus side my respect and trust for Carlisle had only grown after the death of my sister. I was absolutely certain he has my best interest at heart, and there was nothing to fear from that.

"They look fine, any other complaints I should know about, any lingering effects from the venom that you have noticed?"

"No, my eyes have stopped bothering me and I'm pretty sure I'm thinking straight," I looked over to Edward who was standing near my shoulder. He leaned down and meet me with a chaste kiss. "Well except when he does that," I amended.

"Alright, look right here and follow my finger," Carlisle directed with a grin. "Your eyes look good, can I have you lay back for a moment?"

I swung my feet up on the bed and reclined all the way back, folding my hands across my midsection. Edward pulled up a chair and wrapped a blood pressure meter around my arm as Carlisle pulled out a stethoscope. I watched them both closely, starting to wonder what getting my neck fixed would entail.

"One-eighteen over eighty," Edward said to Carlisle as he nodded his head. I was distracted by Edward's eyes.

"All seems good so far," Carlisle approved. "Can you move your hands for me so I can check your abdomen?"

I followed his direction and Carlisle gently prodded with his cool fingers at my belly, not causing any pain. Edward pulled out a blood sample kit and prepped my arm closest to him. "You may not want to watch me love," he advised.

"Right," I turned away and watched Carlisle walk away. Hmm, need something to distract, "Owww," my head swung back over to Edward but didn't look at my arm, I just focused on his face.

"Leave the stent in when you're done Edward, so we don't have to keep poking her," Carlisle directed. I wasn't sure if I was thankful for that or not.

I felt Edward move around the needle a little and grimaced as he taped it into place, "Sorry love," he apologized.

"It's alright," I admitted as he helped me sit back up. I crossed my legs Indian style in front of me on the bed. Edward took a seat near me and rested his hand on my right foot. Carlisle pulled up a chair in front of us with a clipboard in his hand.

"So what's the verdict doc, are you going to have to amputate?" I asked sarcastically.

"Quite possibly," he laughed but then got right back to business, "You're easily healthy enough to do the surgery today. I do need you to understand that it is surgery, you'll be put under general anesthesia while I remove the scarred tissue and repair the damage. That is why we needed you to skip breakfast, eating doesn't mix well the anesthesia. There shouldn't be much down time afterwards though, the scaring will be barely noticeable. Where there any other bite marks that I should fix while I am at it?"

I thought about it for a moment and looked down to my wrist that held a faint crescent moon. It was the only other one I had, but there wasn't much there. Edward took that hand and looked closely, "Actually this one looks very clean, not much we can do there."

"No, I know, that one doesn't bother me, it's just the only other one," I said. The newborns had no restraint and always went for the neck.

Edward looked me in the eye and I knew he was pulling things out of my head, I beat him to the information he was looking for and admitted, "It was Rosalie."

They both looked at me disapprovingly. "I know how you guys feel about it, but it's done. We have allot to talk about, but can we just get me fixed up here first?" I asked Edward. Now that the Volturi were no longer a threat, there was no reason for them to decline anymore.

"Of course," Carlisle interjected on the awkward conversation, "Bella, do you have any questions before we begin?"

Only one I could think of, but I hated to ask. "Just ask Bella, you need to be comfortable with this," Edward encouraged.

"I just remember you having a hard time sedating Angela, do you anticipate any such difficulty with me?"

"I don't think we'll have any problems, remember that first day I was able to get you under while I reset your leg and stitched up your scalp. I'm using some different medications, but the results will be the same. I only had trouble with Angela because of the sickness. You'll be fine Bella, you won't feel a thing. You'll wake up afterwards feeling groggy and maybe even nauseous. I doubt you will go into the healing/ hibernating mode like you did before, this isn't as traumatic as breaking your leg and hitting your head," Carlisle explained.

"Nauseous, great," I added with a fake grin. Edward hopped up from the bed and pulled back the blankets as Carlisle walked over to the sink and started to wash his hands.

Edward started talking to me quietly. "We'll need access to your neck and shoulders," he explained as he laid down a blue sheet over the pillows and top part of the bed behind me. "You can leave on the yoga pants, just pull the sheet up under your arms leaving them out, alright?"

I nodded my head. Edward walked away back towards Dr. Cullen and started washing his hands with his back turned as well. I pulled off my top and bra, folding my bra in my top and tossing it to a chair near the door. I rotated my feet up on the bed and reached down to pull the blue sheet all the way up over my chest then tucking it securely beneath my arms.

Edward came back over to me first, attaching the IV to the stint in my arm, but leaving it pinched so there wasn't anything flowing into my vein yet. Carlisle pushed over a tray as Edward walked away, but I thankfully couldn't see what was on it from this angle. He had put on a surgical mask and cap that matched his scrubs. All I could see was his golden eyes, "You ready Bella?"

"Yeah," I nodded my head to him.

He reached up to the plastic wheel that was pinching the IV and said, "I'm going to release the anesthesia now, I want you to count backwards from 100."

"Edward," I needed to know where he was.

"Right here love," he came up to my line of sight with a similar set of scrubs and mask on, I barley recognized him with his unruly hair under his cap. I saw Carlisle still had hold of the IV waiting patiently. "Count backwards with me, 100," Edward began.

I joined him at, "99, 98, 97, 96, 95…"


	43. Expecting and Engagement

**Author's Note: Alright, buckle in because here we go! As always please share your thoughts by reviewing, I expect to get some colorful ones!**

Expecting and Engagement

It had been two weeks since Carlisle and Edward had fixed my neck. I gazed into the mirror evaluating my reflection. My neck was almost like new and I had put back on fifteen of the twenty pounds I had lost while in Voltera. I got dressed and headed down stairs to breakfast. Today I wouldn't be the only one eating in the Cullen house for once.

I walked into the kitchen to see Edward whipping up a dozen eggs for some rather large omelets. He gave me a scolding look and grabbed another four eggs out of the fridge and cracking them in the mixing bowl. "You still look skinny!"

I furrowed my eyebrows at him, "Seriously Edward, it's only a five pound difference, when are Rose and Emmet getting here?"

"I want those five pounds back, I miss them," he whined, Edward was from a different time when attractiveness meant something a little different than our modern day standards. "They'll be here in ten minutes. Do you want sausage, bacon or ham?"

"All the above," I winked at him. "You know, I really don't think the three of us will be able to eat that much Edward," I pointed out as he popped more English muffins in the toaster.

"Emmet will eat allot too, maybe that's where your five pounds went," Edward theorized.

"If so, he is welcome to keep them," I said as I pulled up a seat at the counter to supervise. "Anything I can help with," I offered though I knew the answer.

"Nope, I got it," Edward replied. He started grilling the omelets and cutting up the ham, sausage and bacon.

"Good morning Alice," I greeted as I looked behind me to see her fluttering around the table folding napkins in elaborate shapes at each place setting.

"Morning Bella, you look cute today," she winked at me.

"Do you lay out outfits for everyone in this house or only those of us you have diagnosed as fashionably challenged?"

"Bella, a sense of fashion is something I can teach. My family is a shining example of that, you will learn too."

A knock sounded at the door as the kitchen emptied suddenly. I followed behind them to the living room to see Emmet and Rosalie walk in.

"We're so glad you came back," Esme gushed, "you look great!"

"Well come on," Edward directed friendly, "breakfast is just about done."

As they walked back in the kitchen and sat at the table I got a good look at them. They did look great. There were no longer dark circles under their eyes; they looked relaxed and happy as their skin held a nice sun-kissed glow.

"Bella!" Emmet boomed.

"Hey Emmet," I said back as he ran over picking me up into a hug and spinning me around. "We were so worried about you, these crazies didn't even tell us what was going on until they were on their way to Italy."

I didn't really want to talk about Voltera so I switched the subject, "How was Hawaii?"

"Sunny," Rosalie chimed in. "It was just lovely; we laid out on the beach, swam with dolphins and ate the most amazing foods. Thank you Bella, it was all because of you, thank you." Then it was Rosalie's turn to take me into a gentle hug.

"You're welcome, I'm glad it's working out for you two. So, Edward, how about that food already?" I didn't like being in the spotlight like this.

Edward brought over the food and the three of us ate while the rest of the Cullen family chatted and reacquainted. I was glad the bridges had been rebuilt and they had been forgiven, their family was whole again.

As I finished off my omelet I saw Alice fidgeting and unable to sit still. I wondered what she was up to. Edward looked over to Rosalie with purpose and said, "You guys better just come out with it, Alice is about to explode."

Rosalie gave a big smile and shook her head, "Still no secrets in this house, you two haven't told the others yet have you?"

"Nope, this is all yours," Edward replied.

What secret were they keeping now? I didn't like being on the other side of this secret keeping. Edward gave me a bit of a cross look, _I'm not keeping anything from you anymore so don't look at me like that._ He grinned back to me in response.

Rosalie had everyone's attention as silence filled the room, "I'm pregnant," she giggled and squealed. Alice and Esme practically tackled her instantly. I laughed at the sight; I never expected to see Rosalie giggle and squeal! Edward, Jasper and Carlisle stood up and gave congratulations to a beaming Emmet.

Once everyone had calmed down Alice offered, "do you want to know the gender?"

"Yes," I think all of us said in unison.

Alice waited to build the anticipation. "It's twins: a boy and a girl!"

The celebrating lasted all afternoon. The house was full of joy and love. It struck me that there is nothing more I could want in life than to really be part of this family. To bring our families together, mine and Edwards, would be the most perfect thing. If only I had forever to spend with them, or at least one life time.

Esme was down stairs making Italian food with Emmet and Rosalie. Edward and I were enjoying some time to ourselves in my room before dinner would be ready.

"What names would you choose?" Edward asked me. We had been talking about the babies.

"Hmmm, I don't know. If I have a girl one day, I think I would like to name her Angela," I admitted. It surprised me that it didn't hurt as much anymore, saying her name.

"Angela would be a beautiful name. You would make a wonderful mother Bella, you _will_ make a wonderful mother," Edward said as he leaned over to kiss me passionately. We were sitting on my bed, but I was quickly overwhelmed by Edward's heated kiss that I fell back on my pillows. He continued his pursuit, crawling over top of me as he met my lips again and again, barley allowing me to catch my breath.

Between kisses I managed to breathe out, "you would make a wonderful father too, Edward."

"Bella," Edward paused from his kissing me momentarily to gaze into my eyes. "You would make the most perfect wife." In an instant he was off the bed and kneeling beside it with a little black box in his hand. I sat up in awe of the moment, I didn't believe what was happening until Edward popped open the little black box to reveal the most beautiful, yet simple diamond ring. The slight blue sparkle caught my eye set in silver or possibly white gold- I had no idea. I looked up from the ring with my mouth open as Edward asked me, "Marry me?"

My hands covered my mouth as a thousand things rushed through my mind. I wanted nothing more than to say yes with all my heart. I wanted to be part of this family, I wanted my happily ever after, even if it was only temporary.

"Bella?"

The tears flowed out of my eyes, "I can't," the pain rushed across Edward's face. "No, Edward," he was frozen in place. "I would only make you a widower. I want nothing more than to be married to you, to give you my life, heart and soul, but to cause you such pain."

Edward interrupted me, "Bella, I don't care. I'm asking you to spend the rest of your life with me- that would make me a very happy man. Please let us enjoy, live and love for whatever time fate will give to us. Let us find happiness, marry me."

It took me another moment, but my answer was always, "Yes, yes, I'll marry you!" Edward leapt back up on the bed and started kissing me again as he slipped the perfectly fitted ring onto my finger. Then he wove his fingers through mine and brought our hands up to his mouth as he kissed the ring gently. He was absolutely beaming and I was crying tears of joy. I loved him, there will never be another, Edward was the one, he was my everything.

"You're my everything too. Now we need to pull ourselves together and go down stairs because dinner is almost ready and we have guests here," Edward started to stand up.

"Guests?" I inquired.

"Come on," he tugged me out of bed and pulled me towards the stairs. I ran my free hand through my hair trying to tame it then tended to my eyes with a tissue I grabbed off a table near the stairs.

When we walked into the dining room I was thrown back again. There were balloons, candles, ribbons and a beautiful "congratulations on your engagement" sign that looked like Edward's elegant script.

"Congratulations!" everyone cheered. To my surprise the room was filled with friends and family. The first to meet me were my own parents who both hugged and kissed me with tears in their eyes.

Jacob was the next to see me, "Bella, I'm so happy for you." He hugged me and swung me around like Emmet liked to do. Then he introduced me to his "date", Leah. I was happy to see he had found someone as well.

Rosalie and Emmet took their turn followed by Alice and Jasper. Edward followed along shaking hands and just floating on cloud nine. Esme and Carlisle greeted us last, "Welcome to the family, Bella," Carlisle said as he and Esme took both Edward and I into a tight embrace.

We took our seats around the large dinner table and those of us able to eat enjoyed the most wonderful meal. With the announcement of Rosalie and Emmet's twins and my and Edward's engagement, the mood was just electric.

"So Edward, when you going to become a member of the human club?" Emmet taunted. "And what about the rest of you, you're missing out on all this great food!"

"I'm waiting until Bella gets older, before she stops shifting so we can be around the same age and grow old together," he seemed especially happy about this.

"We'll do about the same, maybe a few years before Edward does," Carlisle put in his and Esme's answer.

"We're still deciding," Alice admitted.

"What!" Emmet growled, "You're going to let us be the oldest in the family!"

"That way your twins can babysit for us," Esme played.

Alice and Jasper got up to clear the table as Rosalie brought over the tiramisu desert. It was the most perfect day, the most perfect evening. We all stayed around the table and chatted well into the night.

"A spring wedding Bella, please tell me you'll let me do your wedding," Alice begged.

There was really no denying her, "Yes, Alice, but I also want you to be my maid of honor?"

She squealed and ran over to my seat pulling me up in the air, I spent allot of my time being swept off my feet around here. When she finally put me back down conversation turned back to the coming twins. I took the pretty little ring off my finger to admire it again, Edward had said some of the diamonds were from his mother's ring, but the main diamond, the one that held the light blue tint, was apparently something special and rare he had found. It was cut slightly into the shape of a heart; I smiled as I turned it around watching as the light was captured in its facets.

Edward grabbed it out of my hand, "hey give that back I complained," as he stood up.

"You keep taking it off, I'm starting to think you don't want it," he joked.

"Yes I want it, it's just so beautiful I want to take a closer look at it. Give it back," I stood up to grab it from him as he ran out of my reach.

"You want it, come and get it," he taunted as he jogged out of the dining room.

I bolted after him as everyone started laughing at us. I chased him around the living room, up and down the stairs a few times before we finally ended up back in Edward's room. He stopped as I dramatically sat down frustrated on his couch out of breath.

"Uhhem," Edward cleared his throat as he knelt in front of me again, "Isabella Swan, will you marry me?" he asked with an excited grin.

"I already told you yes!" I said in between gasps.

"I know, but it's still fun! I love the part when you say yes," Edward smiled as he put the lovely ring back on my finger again. He got up to eye level with me and started kissing me again, now I was really out of breath! I smiled as our lips met and melded. I reached around his back and wove a hand through his messy hair, my Edward's messy hair, my Edward. I loved that thought.

He pulled away for a moment to say, "My Bella," then he started kissing me again. Edward took my breath away, as I pulled him closer to me.

After a few more moments of this I was starting to get a little light headed so I leaned back just out of his reach as I tried to catch my breath. Edward smiled and took the hint that I needed a moment. He took a seat beside me and lightly ran his hand over my back and shoulders. I leaned in towards him, still a little winded.

We sat like that for a few minutes.

I was still breathing heavy. I looked up at Edward's eyes as he looked down into mine. I think the realization hit us at the same time. Horror, fear, anger, devastation: I saw it all in Edward's face as I'm certain he saw it in mine.

"Carlisle," Edward called in a broken voice.

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.


	44. Puzzles

Puzzles

"What is it?" Carlisle stepped in the room concerned. "Bella?"

I was still panting for air and Edward was silent, still in shock. I shook my head, maybe this was nothing, I mean we were running all around the house. I'm fine. "I'm just having a hard time catching my breath is all," I gasped again. Edward panicked, I gulped in more air, "I think I just need a few moments." I needed to pull it together because Edward had obviously lost it.

But when I looked back into Carlisle's eyes I could see that Edward's panic was not unjustified. "Bella, let's get you over to the exam room so I can check," Carlisle said solemnly.

Edward seemed to snap out of it catching whatever thoughts Carlisle was directing at him. Edward picked me up and carried me down the hallway to the exam room. He laid me out gently on the bed, but I immediately sat up. It was even harder to breathe while lying down with the weight of my chest on my lungs.

The room was silent while Carlisle did a basic exam, silent except for my still ragged breathing. "Edward, go down stairs and get Mr. and Mrs. Swan up here," Carlisle directed. Edward was out the door in an instant.

"I'm dying aren't I," I asked Carlisle between breaths.

"The Swan sickness has set it, but I'm not going to let you die. We're going to figure this out together, don't you give up on me. You're my daughter now too, I'm not losing you, Edward can't lose you." Carlisle took my hand and gave it a squeeze kissing me lightly on the forehead.

I just nodded my head at him, "I'm going to step out for a moment and send Edward in to help you change while I talk to your parents." Carlisle handed me a familiar patients robe. He walked out as Edward walked back in.

I felt like I had just run a marathon. Edward came in kissed my cheek, "You're going to be alright just hold on, ok?" He reached down to start untying my shoes and taking off my socks, "don't you dare think you're getting out of marrying me this easily."

"Haven't you learned you can't get rid of me that easily either?" I replied.

He helped me down off the bed and I fumbled with the button on my jeans, suddenly embarrassed that I choose the granny panties today instead of a hot g-string. He had me changed so quickly and back under the blankets that I didn't have time to be embarrassed about much else.

Alice walked back in with Carlisle and my parents. "Alice!" Edward yelled, "How did you miss this! What the hell!"

"Edward," I managed to scold.

"You know I can't see past the wolves, that's not fair Edward," she growled back.

My parents came over and fussed over me some, I saw Edward make up with Alice out of the corner of my eye. Jacob and Leah came in next.

"Bella, we're going to head on out so Alice might be able to get a clear vision," Jacob reached down and took my hand. "You'll be alright, they're going to call me and I'll come back later when we know more. Fight hard my Swan of the Sea." Jacob leaned over and gave me a sweet kiss on the cheek as I smiled back at him. He walked out of the room just leaving my folks, Alice, Carlisle and Edward. Alice sat up on the edge of my bed beside me as my folks took familiar seats near the door. Edward and Carlisle went into full doctor mode running all around the room grabbling tools, switching on machines and going through cabinets.

I leaned back against the reclined bed and tried to relax a little, I didn't need to know what they were doing. Edward placed oxygen tubes in my nose and it made my breathing somewhat easier. Carlisle cleaned my arm as he prepared to start an IV. I quickly looked away to find Edward fiddling with the oxygen machine, he met my eyes and gave me a confident smile. I felt the sharp prick followed by a cool sensation.

"Bella we're going to jump right into this," Carlisle explained as he plunged a syringe into the IV tube. "Some of these medications are harsh and are going to make you feel worse, but don't hold it all in, talk to us. We'll do what we can to make you comfortable."

I nodded back to him in understanding as the first wave took effect. Edward came over and brushed some stray hairs out of my face. He kept playing with my hair, "how are you doing?" he asked.

I noticed a slight whirling pressure behind my eyes. I squinted them shut as a wave of dizziness hit hard. I leaned my head back against the pillows, still not lying all the way down, just reclining. "Dizzy," I said between breaths. Edward's hands went to my temples and massaged slow circles there for a few minutes as it got worse before it got any better.

After about twenty minutes, I tried opening my eyes again only to see some new syringe being plunged into my IV. It was getting harder to breathe. I saw Edward turn up the oxygen and that helped a little, but I was still panting.

A few minutes later I was nauseous and lost the wonderful Italian food Esme had made earlier in the night. My mom came over to help soothe me some, she got me cleaned up just in time for me to get sick again. Nothing was helping me breathe easier, it was becoming frightening. The thought of drowning had never scared me before, but now I understood the fear some people had of the water and drowning. This must be what it feels like- if it took ninety minutes to drown while sick that is.

The nausea eventually wore off as I gave a somewhat pleading look to Carlisle when he plunged another possible antidote into my blood stream. "This could cause some muscle cramping Bella, I'm sorry. I'm going to chase it with a bit of morphine and we'll hope it takes the edge off, alright?"

What was I supposed to say? It was already done. I nodded to him, "I know you're trying to help Carlisle," I heaved out. This had to be hard on them as well, to watch me suffer like this. I put on a brave face as my body tensed against my will. The first pain felt like a charley horse in my calf. I sat up and reached down to grab hold of the throbbing muscle as tears sprung from my eyes. The second I reached down the pain shot up my back. I froze in place.

Carlisle quickly added the morphine into my IV but it didn't help much. I was able to breathe again but still not able to move from my hunched over position. I bit my lower lip and let my hair fall to cover my face as I held back the scream. This was worse than breaking my leg. Edward quickly started working on my back as Alice helped me loosen the muscle in my leg.

"Carlisle, her gills look inflamed," Edward called with concern.

Carlisle came over and ran his fingers over the sensitive openings, "She's progressing faster than I realized, I'm going to force a shift." As I was hunched over I paused to look at my hands and realized they were starting to web. Had it been ninety minutes already? Angela only made it through two forced shifts, time was ticking away for me.

A few minutes later we were back at square one. "Thirsty," I spoke out through my wraspy voice. Esme came in with a pitcher of water and lured my parents out with her, I was glad they were getting breaks here and there.

"Hey Bella Bo," Emmett and Rosalie snuck in. "We thought you might like something soft and plushy." Rosalie unveiled a rather large teddy bear.

I smiled to them, "Thanks guys," and immediately took the teddy in my arms.

The next hour and half passed much like the last only worse and now with the comfort of the teddy bear and Jasper. Jasper was helpful in getting my nerves and anxiety down.

Carlisle came again to force another shift. It took me longer to recover this time and I was getting weak and tired, not that I would find any rest. I wasn't done fighting this and I was glad to see Edward and Carlisle weren't either. I reached my hand over and pulled the teddy bear closer to me. It was just the four of us in the room right now, Carlisle, Edward, me and the teddy. Carlisle must have gotten rid of my diligent parents. That could only mean something bad was coming.

I was having an awful time breathing and hadn't been able to speak. Thankfully Edward was in my head quite a bit in my weakened state.

"Bella," Carlisle came over to me with a sad tone in his voice, "it's time we put in a breathing tube." I had a feeling it was coming and I had been dreading it. I really didn't want Edward to have to hold me down like he had to do for Angela, it would kill him. _Edward are you hearing this? Go get Jasper, dear. _

"Jasper," Edward called out in a normal volume and Jasper walked in a few seconds later. "We're going to put in a breathing tube to help Bella get more oxygen, she might be more comfortable if you helped her relax."

"Sure," Jasper said with a kind smile as he took my hand. I looked into his eyes, still panting, as I felt a wave of calm come over me. It all happened very quickly from there: the bed was lowered vertical as Carlisle swiftly lifted up my chin and pried open my jaw.

It was very uncomfortable and even painful as the machine forced oxygen in and out of my lungs at a rapid pace. Jasper kept the calm steady as I found Edward close by. He reached his face down to kiss my engagement ring as Carlisle started yet another round of medications. Alice came in the room then and stood beside Jasper for a while. For all of Jasper's talent, I could still feel the hope slowing draining out of the room with each passing minute.

Then I saw that familiar look in Alice's eyes- that look that said she was seeing something beyond this room. Edward immediately fixated on her as time seemed to stop and everyone in the room froze.

"What is it Alice, come on, see the cure," Edward urged. Alice squinted and seemed to focus more. "It doesn't help unless you can see what works, try again!" he demanded. Alice looked even more flustered now, but she just shook her head in response.

"I'm sorry, I can't see it. But she's alive, Edward, and she's not on the ventilator." Alice still seemed worried, her visions could always change, especially if they couldn't figure the cure.

"What does it mean?" Edward asked her frantically.

"It means you know the cure; you, Carlisle and Bella know the cure. You have to figure it out, I can't see what it is."

Carlisle looked confused as Edward looked to me, "Bella, what could it be? You know! Help us figure it out."

How could I know? I know nothing of science or medicine! I have no more secrets from them! Like I would hide anything! I don't know!

"Yes, you do. We do, Alice is right, she saw it, we knew all along, we just had to put the pieces together."

* * *

**Author's note: Well, this has been a tough chapter to write, sorry to leave you hanging like that, but hey, at least we know Bella will survive- hopefully.**

****Ahem!****

**184: Alice! What are you doing here- shouldn't you be with Edward and Bella trying to figure out the cure?**

**Alice: What the hell do you think you're doing 184, this doesn't make any sense! How could they all know the cure?**

**184: Ohh, Alice you know I can't tell you these things.**

**Alice: You better or else I'm going to see something very bad happening to you 184! Is it some random drugs that Carlisle needs to put together? What is it!**

**184: Alice, I'm a little disappointed in you, has anything I have ever done in this story been random?**

**Alice: No**

**184: Right! It all has purpose. You know the cure too; as do our readers, they've read it! **

**Alice: WTF!!! **

**184: Come on guys put the puzzle together!**


	45. Win Win Situation

Win Win Situation

I had no clue what the answer was. Alice's vision was shifting with our continued inability to solve the puzzle. I couldn't really think anymore about anything except for the pain. Carlisle and Edward were going to have to figure this out on their own.

Carlisle tried every previous medication he had ever used on me. Nothing changed. On a whim, Carlisle was able to extract venom from Edward using a rather large stainless steel syringe. The thought was that I'd had venom in my system before; they were grasping straws, but I reached right along with them. I watched with wide eyes as the doctor came towards me with the metal syringe.

"It would be most effective if injected directly into the heart," he explained softly. The bed lowered down as Edward moved my gown and cleaned an area above my left breast. Lord knows I wasn't in enough pain as it was, now they were going to stab me in the chest too. I closed my eyes and shivered a little in anticipation. Edward softly hummed a lullaby for me in my ear as he worked his fingers into my hair.

The large needle struck hard and fast as my back arched off the bed. I wasn't even capable of releasing my screams with the ventilator in, so the pain translated to my eyes instead as they overflowed with tears. My heart's pace picked up as the venom burned through my system, only causing my already worn out body to work even harder.

A few moments later Carlisle took his stethoscope out and listened to my frantic heart and breathing with an empty look on his face. Then I saw him do something I'd never seen before, he angrily chucked the stethoscope across the room and it crashed into some vials on a table, shattering glass.

"Dammit!" he brought his hands up to his hair and I thought he might pull it out as he stormed out of the room. Edward stayed with me as I turned my head a little towards him. He had a look of defeat, a look of death. My old fears of what would happen to Edward when I died resurfaced. But my choices were long ago made, and I had a hard time regretting them. I was nice to know somebody out there loved me, the way I had always wanted to be loved. And that he would be here in my last moments, it was a selfish thing, but it was all I had left. They say in your final moments, your life will flash before your eyes. It wasn't really that way for me. I saw the long drawn out memories of the more recent months; the first was Angela's birthday at the beach. I remembered swimming in the ocean with Edward and my sister. I remembered my date with Edward and going mini golfing and rock climbing with him. I remembered when he taught me the bones in the human body and how to remember them. I remembered his wonderful hands and how they could massage away all of my pain. It seemed all my memories centered around him, I suppose that was because when I met him was when I truly started to live.

Even though my lungs were burning and my body wracked with pain, it was hard to stay awake. I was exhausted and I just wanted to sleep. My mind flashed back again to when Carlisle and Edward first brought me into this house and how I fought against them. I remembered the pain and fear. I longed for that restful sleep that I'd had while Carlisle had fixed up my leg and head. I had slept in utter darkness and peace for three days; no pain, no suffering, only healing.

Edward jumped up from his position and called, "Carlisle, get your ass back in here now!"

Carlisle came back in with a look of dread on his face, expecting the worse. Edward responded to him, "What if we've been looking at this the wrong way? What if there is no cure?"

"I'm not following you Edward, how is that helpful?"

"What if she is the only one who can fix this? Remember when we first found her with the broken leg and cracked head, we brought her back here. Remember when she went into hibernation or almost a coma after you sedated her to reset her leg. Her body all but shut down to focus on healing the injuries."

"So all we have to do if figure out a way to induce the comatose state, and you think it will heal on its own? It makes sense and fits Alice's vision. One problem, if I could have sedated her by now I would have, I would never have subjected her to such torment if there was another way."

"Yes, but you haven't tried all that hard, really. We've been focusing on a cure, not on inducing a coma. Come on Carlisle, what else can we try?"

"I need to run to the hospital, can you keep her stable and awake for twenty minutes? Her tiredness right now is her body dying, we have to get it to go into the healing mode instead- don't let her sleep."

"Go," Edward said as Carlisle left. "This is it, just hold on here with me alright?" he pleaded to me.

I wanted to stay awake and fight, but I could tell I was going to need Edward's help. "I'm not going to let you sleep love, you're going to hate me for this," Edward explained as he pulled all the blankets off me leaving me in the thin hospital gown and footsies. He climbed up on the bed carefully, barely moving me as he sat behind me and reclined me against his cold chest.

I squirmed a little. Although I loved touching Edward, he was cold, especially without any blankets. He wrapped his cool arms around my waist and I shivered uncomfortably. "It's the kindest way I can think of Bella, I'm sorry. It's harder to sleep when the body temperature drops." I wasn't mad at him and I did not hate him. I tried to focus on how nice it was just to be held, even if it was by an ice cube.

"I was thinking about what life is going to be like when we become human again. I've decided to go to medical school and complete one last degree. Carlisle and I have it all planned out. I'm going to work an ER while he goes back into surgery. Here is the real kicker: Rosalie is going to get a degree in Pediatrics. After ten years or so we would like to open a family practice all together. I hope you don't mind my family being close by, Bella. Jasper is even toying with the idea of going into psychology to join us, though I still think he's going to end up a professor teaching American history."

_No, not at all, I love your family, please tell me we can go somewhere with sunshine for a while?_

"Ohh yes! We're thinking California, how did you like Orange County? We're thinking Corona Del Mar, it's little ocean town where it hardly ever rains and never freezes. But before all of that, you and I have a very long honeymoon ahead of us."

While Carlisle was gone, my parents came back in and sat with us. I pulled the teddy bear back into my lap. I think Edward almost took it away thinking it might make me too comfortable, but he didn't- he couldn't be that cruel.

Carlisle did eventually come back and Edward left my bed to help him. They hung a new IV bag and Edward pulled the blankets back up and over me.

"Okay Bella, I still don't want you to close those eyes just yet, not until I say so alright?" Carlisle directed.

He started injecting my tube with various medications. Half an hour later he finally hit one that made me a bit drowsy. "Hold on," he sounded hopeful for once as he flashed a bright light in my eyes and felt for my pulse. "Alright Bella, slow deep breaths, close your eyes and try to let go of the pain and sleep."

It was easier said than done. I was still so uncomfortable and they didn't know if this would really work anyways. I could close my eyes and never open them again. Maybe they have just decided that it was my time to go and they didn't want me to be distressed, was I ready to go? No.

"Bella," Edward took my hand like he always did. "I have faith that this is going to work. Take the leap here with me, close your eyes. I'm right here, you have nothing to fear no matter what the outcome."

He was right, and it wasn't until then that I realized it or looked at my situation in that light. This was a "win/ win situation." If I died, I got to go to heaven, see my sister again, and hey it's heaven right- it had to be great. If I survived, then I got to spend the rest of my life here with Edward, and well, that was heaven too. So I closed my eyes and fell asleep, hoping for the latter version of bliss.

**Author's note: Awwwe, it makes me sad, the last cliffhanger of my story. I bet it makes you happy though. This story is winding down here and wrapping up. I hope you'll leave me another review, or rant, or hey, even the death threats are entertaining. More to come soon! **


	46. The Happily Ever After

**The Happily Ever After**

_I've seen dreams that move the mountains  
Hope that doesn't ever end  
Even when the sky is falling  
And I've seen miracles just happen  
Silent prayers get answered  
Broken hearts become brand new  
That's what faith can do_

I felt very disoriented, tired and weak. I opened my eyes to see the most beautiful arrangement of Gerber daisies in a rainbow of colors sitting beside my bed. Then I saw Edward standing there with his familiar crooked smile. His hand came up to cup my face gently, "Hey gorgeous, how are you feeling?"

I didn't answer him at first, how could I answer him with a breathing tube in? But then I noticed there wasn't a breathing tube. I took a deep refreshing breath to clear my head and was surprised that I did so without discomfort. I'd made it.

I gave him a big smile as I reached up my hand to pull his face to my lips. He willingly met me with a gentle kiss. "You still have a little ways to go, but you're going to be fine. Actually, maybe even better than before. We'll talk about that later, first, is there any pain or discomfort?"

"No," I spoke out, my voice still a little wraspy. I noticed my parents in the background then and they came over and gave me kisses and hugs as well. In fact now that I looked around, the room was filled. Emmet and Rosalie; Jasper and Alice; Carlisle and Esme were all huddled into the small room. They all fussed over me for a few minutes before Carlisle spoke up.

"Alright, lets clear it out and give Edward and I a chance to check her over, she still needs rest, and maybe a good meal," Carlisle suggested to Esme. The room slowly emptied out and left me with my personal heroes: the love of my life and his father, now my father as well.

They both gave me huge smiles that I tried to return. Carlisle did a basic check, listening to my heart and lungs, checking my blood pressure and such while Edward checked my eyes and temperature.

"All perfect," Edward commented to me as he reached his pen out to tap my nose. I smiled at the gesture.

"How long have I been out?" It was one of the questions on my mind.

"Five days," Edward didn't miss a beat.

"Five days?" wow that was a long time, "will this remedy work for the others?"

"Yes," Carlisle responded. "Though I suspect it would only take a couple days regularly. It only took you longer because we had drawn it out so long and you were very weak. Your body not only successfully overcame the sickness in the hibernation, but it also seems to have made some small changes too."

I looked at him with question, "What do you mean by changes?"

"Nothing bad Bella, so far as I can tell. Your gills have taken on a stronger and more permanent state. Though we have not tested anything I suspect you will be able to breathe under water in both forms, like your ancestors did once."

I was intrigued by the possibility, "Can we go down to the pool?"

"Absolutely, but let's get you some breakfast first," Carlisle seemed anxious as well. Carlisle reached down my arm and removed the IV that was still there. "Can you sit up for me?"

I pulled myself up and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I noticed I was still wearing one of those not so fashionable hospital gowns that ties in the back and leaves your rear exposed, Edward probably got a kick out of that. Speaking of the devil he walked over to stand on my other side and gave me a crooked grin. I looked at him crossed: _you heard that didn't you?_

He gave me a slight nod, _keep your mouth shut Edward Cullen._ "Yes, Mrs. Cullen." I gave him a surprised look as he continued, "I know it's not official yet, but I wanted to practice. Practice makes perfect," he reached down and fumbled with my hand and fingered the graceful little ring that still encompassed my finger.

* * *

Today would be the day I finally gave back to Edward what he had given to me so many years ago: life. I had always thought that our wedding would be the most wonderful moment of my life; and it was. But today was perhaps something even more significant, today marked the first day of our lives together. For the past ten years we had lived together, and enjoyed every moment of our youth together. We spent two years on a honeymoon and the past eight in college. Edward finished his medical degree one last time and I completed a Masters in English Literature and a Bachelors in Marine Biology. Just two weeks ago Alice and Jasper drank of me, to start their human lives along with Carlisle and Esme who had joined the human race a little over a month ago. That left just Edward.

I took my last swim in the ocean this morning; I knew it was my last. I loved everything about being a mermaid, but I'm eagerly awaiting the next phase in my life. I suppose that's what makes today so special: the chance to change. For so many countless years the Cullen family had simply gone on existing. It seemed a little sad to think that now one day they would die, but more importantly they got the opportunity to live, and no one appreciated that more than the Cullens.

"Are you excited," I asked my husband.

"Like you wouldn't believe. There is so much about life that I can't wait to experience: no longer hiding or lying, no more thirst or cold, and I'll be able to make love to my wife without restraint or fear, and starting a family of our own. This is all I could have ever hoped for, and so much more."

Edward now stood behind me and moved my hair off my shoulder. I could feel his cool breath on my neck as he placed a small kiss over my artery. "I hate to break that beautiful skin of yours," he whispered into my neck.

I giggled a little at the tickling sensation, "it will heal Edward, join me, drink." I reached up my hand behind me and wrapped my fingers around the back of his neck. Edward gave another kiss to my neck before opening his mouth and biting down. As he drank he pulled me back into his body and sat us down on our bed. The pulling sensation was soft and controlled though the bite was sharp. Edward laid us down together as he sealed the wound and his own change took place.

Only moments later he sat up and rolled me to the center of the bed, straddling me now on his knees. My eyes gazed into the new sight that was my Edward. I reached up and ran my finger tips over his still beautiful face but now flushed and full of life. His eyes were the most mesmerizing shade of hazel. I couldn't hide my joy as he smiled back at me. He reached down his hand and held a few fingers to the pulse point on my neck, "I can't hear your heart anymore, it's a little disorienting."

I reached up my hand and placed it on his chest, feeling his heart pounding away, "my heart is right here, has been for some time now," I explained.

* * *

Angela Renesmee Cullen was born August 16th, 2023. She joined a very large family, with quite a few cousins. Though Edward and I tried, we were unable to conceive any other children. Yet I didn't feel at all deprived. Angela was the most wonderful thing to happen in my life since Edward himself.

Edward was the most amazing and supportive father, not that I had expected anything else. Angela made her first shift at fifteen, she was gold, not that it was so uncommon anymore. Our tribe made a full recovery after Carlisle had found the cure so many years ago. Not only did mermaids thrive and multiply in the years that followed, we became stronger. Black accented mermaids became the rarity, while silver and gold were more common place, just as Alice had once seen. Over the years, some vampires even sought us out, seeking the human life they once enjoyed. The Denali family, friends of the Cullens, were amongst the first after Edward to make the change back to human.

Life with Edward, Angela and the rest of the Cullens was, well, the happily ever after I had always wished for, but never thought I would get.

_Somewhere beyond the sea,  
Somewhere, waiting for me,  
My lover stands on golden sands  
And watches the ships that go sailing_

_We'll meet beyond the shore,  
We'll kiss just as before.  
Happy we'll be beyond the sea,  
And never again I'll go sailing!_

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

**Song Credits:**

"**What Faith Can Do" by Kutless and "Beyond the Sea" by Bobby Darin, no copyright infringement intended.**

**So ends my little story, thanks to everyone for coming along with me. I hope the end didn't disappoint. I've had several of you ask if I plan to write anything else, and the answer is in fact yes. I've had another little story in my head now for a few weeks and I plan to share it with you. Since you've come this far with me I'll give the inspiration behind it: "The most dangerous evil in all the world is the one that believes it is doing good." That's all I'm going to give you for now, add me the your "favorite authors" if you want to get an update when the first chapter comes out, probably in a week or so. Thanks again!!**


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